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3SEPTEMBER 10, 2018 WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER: ALL IN REVIEWED, HBK TO RETURN, MORE
4BY OBSERVER STAFF | STAFF@WRESTLINGOBSERVER.COM | @WONF4W
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6Wrestling Observer Newsletter
7
8PO Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228 ISSN10839593 September 10, 2018
9
10 
11
12ALL IN POLL RESULTS
13
14Thumbs up 609 (95.6%)
15
16Thumbs down 1 (00.2%)
17
18In the middle 27 (04.2%)
19
20 
21
22BEST MATCH POLL
23
24Kenny Omega vs. Penta 0M 275
25
26Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll 149
27
28Hangman Page vs. Joey Janela 69
29
30Cody vs. Nick Aldis 60
31
32Young Bucks & Ibushi vs. Fenix & Mysterio & Bandido
33
3447
35
36Battle Royal 11
37
38Women’s four-way 10
39
40 
41
42WORST MATCH POLL
43
44Matt Cross vs. MJF 203
45
46Christopher Daniels vs. Stephen Amell 185
47
48Women’s four-way 45
49
50Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon 37
51
52Cody vs. Nick Aldis 18
53
54Battle Royal 10
55
56Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll 10
57
58Based on e-mails and phone calls to the Observer as of Tuesday, 9/4.
59
60 
61
62The biggest question coming out of All In on 9/1 in Chicago is the same question as going in. What does this all mean?
63
64The event has to be considered an overall huge success, with the immediate sellout, a convention, a first hour broadcast on national cable and a PPV deal.
65
66As far as business numbers go, the total attendance at the show was 11,263 (and a few days after the show they had already released an 11,263 T-shirt), which was, with the set up, was the fire department maximum they could put in. That figure is a combination of the 10,541 tickets sold in the first 30 minutes they were put on sale back in May, any late production seats that were opened up, and people in the suites. The suites were packed and it was 100 percent utilization of the building, which is rare even for what can be legitimately called a sold out show. Usually at events like this, a low percentage of the suites would have been full even if all tickets were sold.
67
68The live gate was $458,525. We don’t have final merchandise numbers but every item they had sold out, and the key event shirt, the All In shirt, sold out at 3:30 p.m., 90 minutes before the show started and 30 minutes after the doors opened. The merchandise lines were the longest I’ve ever seen at any wrestling show, sports event or concert in my life. I was told the lines were one hour long. Part of the reason is there were only two merchandise booths set up, which was crazy since everyone going in knew merchandise should have been higher per-head than any pro wrestling event ever in this country with the possible exception of a WrestleMania. Still, they sold everything they had. A key thing to learn from this is to bring more inventory based on the number of spectators, and open up more merchandise stands so the lines won’t be so daunting that people skip buying merchandise for fear they may miss a match or matches.
69
70Tickets were priced way too inexpensively for the live event. Even based in Chicago with the idea their merchandise partner, Pro Wrestling Tees, was located in town and expecting big merchandise numbers, they greatly undershot there as well.
71
72FITE TV grossed more than $1 million between iPPV sales and Starrcast iPPV sales. That would probably indicate in excess of 20,000 iPPV orders, which was well above expectations if you figure 80 percent of the revenue came from the show and 20 percent came from the convention.
73
74The Starrcast convention sold 11,000 tickets, but that doesn’t mean 11,000 people because people bought tickets for multiple events. There were complaints that tickets weren’t checked and that people who paid $190 were getting the same access as people who just wandered into the building and got on lines.
75
76Pro Wrestling Tees did just under $500,000 worth of T-shirt business over the weekend through all channels, and most of the merchandise in the venue would be part of that total.
77
78Highspots reportedly had its biggest merchandise day ever at the convention as well as its biggest weekend ever, which is huge because they are a key part of every WrestleMania weekend.
79
80As far as overall financial success across the board, it was described by the organizers as a grand slam home run.
81
82The first hour, airing from 6-7 p.m. Eastern, did 196,000 viewers on WGN. It was the best number on the station for the day and is in line with what most of the station’s top rated prime time original shows do, even on the worst night of the week for television and being out of prime time. It’s not a blow away number that is going to make the television world stand up and take notice suddenly, but it’s not a failure.
83
84PPV numbers aren’t available at this point, and with no prior reference point it was impossible to predict. Illegal streaming numbers were about the same as for a non-major WWE PPV event, which these days don’t do more than 20,000 to 30,000 buys. Google trends, historically an excellent predictor, showed that the show did not crack the top 20 for the day, so this had its cult interest but it didn’t have the mainstream interest of a major UFC and WWE event. But nothing in pro wrestling that isn’t WWE or the death of a major star has ever cracked the top 20 in recent memory.
85
86This year’s WrestleKingdom show, because it took place so early, was in the top 20 much of 1/4, but the end of the day, it was out of the top 20. It was also an easier day to hit the top 20. Still, this was far from Logan Paul vs. KSI, who are YouTube stars on a completely different level from The Young Bucks, Cody and Omega, who were able to do 784,000 iPPV buys for a boxing match between non-boxer celebrities, and had 3 million searches on Google that weekend. If anything, that event showed the power of YouTube in building a combat sports event on a gigantic level.
87
88This showed the power of it in making pro wrestling stars at a viable level, and more so in creating emotion with the “Ten Pounds of Gold” series of videos and the incredible reaction from the crowd that the Cody vs. Nick Aldis match had. It was a match, that when announced, people hardly reacted strongly to. This was a workrate crowd and that was hardly Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr., on paper. But in storytelling, they made the NWA belt feel like the NWA belt of the 50s through 80s. Aldis came across in presentation like a champion because of his look, and even more, his talking and the way he carried himself. Cody was the challenger you were taught to love, playing a form of Rocky with Diamond Dallas Page as his Mickey, playing upon the history where the NWA belt really was the biggest prize in pro wrestling, even if that era ended almost 35 years ago and its relevance as a major prize ended about a quarter-century ago. The emotion from the crowd and the pop at the finish for the title change was a revelation of what smart production and story telling before the event can do. And all of that is just basic pro wrestling, perhaps an aspect of basic pro wrestling that pro wrestling lost, except usage of streaming videos rather than television accomplished the job at a high level. Ironically, the build for this match was very much what UFC and boxing both copied from pro wrestling that pro wrestling for some reason forgot. And that’s the real story of the entire weekend and why this has changed the business.
89
90To make the top 20 on 9/1, you’d need 200,000 searches which is very high for No. 20, and that’s the usual range for a WWE B PPV show and some of the lowest UFC PPV shows. Some UFC FOX or biggest television events can hit 100,000 and Bellator’s biggest shows can hit that mark as well, but nobody else in wrestling and MMA does.
91
92With the show available live on Honor Club and on delay on New Japan World at a much lower price, it was going to cut back on those numbers. Also the show was not available on DirecTV, although was cleared just about everywhere else. In the building, there was actually a huge pop for the anti-piracy message that is shown at the start of every television PPV, almost as if the crowd was popping for the idea these guys had gotten a show to that level. The funny part is that if it wasn’t on television PPV, there wouldn’t have been such a hard and fast time limit for the show and there would have been no timing issues.
93
94The show, hiccups and all, encompassed a wide variety of entertainment aspects and mostly good and a few great matches. It was generally well received, but in trying a lot of different things, not everything worked to every fan, but there should have been something for every fan. Overall the show has to be considered a strong positive.
95
96While people always fight the line of wrestling vs. sports entertainment, to me, pro wrestling has always been entertainment. The type of entertainment evolves, and there are many different product mixes that will work, and even more that won’t work. In the end, it’s about entertaining your audience and figuring out how to expand your audience through whatever promotional skills are at your disposal, and not in that order. That, ultimately is the game.
97
98This show did not beat New Japan for wrestling, but did beat WWE for non-wrestling entertainment. I think the best analogy for all this is the show gave the live audience what they wanted to see (while manipulating them into wanting to see it through various promotional methods). With WWE, they give the fans what they want the fans to see, whether their ability to manipulate them into wanting to see it works or not.
99
100It was noted that with the track record of this show, if they do another one, they have a lot they can learn from and a lot more leverage with proven success to cut better business deals. But nothing is for sure because nobody knows right now where the group will be in one year, or for that matter, five months.
101
102The matches were almost all good. Even Christopher Daniels vs. Stephen Amell, given the length of time they were out there and how little Amell has wrestled (it was his first singles match and third match overall), he was very good and universally praised for his efforts, particularly since his schedule in filming the new season of “Arrow” didn’t give him a ton of time to work out for the match. Amell set out to have the best wrestling match any celebrity has had. The effort was there, and his actual moves were fine, a few were spectacular and got a big reaction, but you could really see how green he was in some of his selling and his body movements between moves. Working with Daniels somewhat hid that.
103
104Four of the last five bouts were all great in very different ways. It also had a crowd that wasn’t going to crap on anything, which helped. Everything that made sense from the build on Being the Elite played out. There were a few minor problems in some of the matches and a major timing issue that took away the potential for what could have been as good a tag team match as has been held all year, the Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Rey Fenix & Bandido. The match was cut back from roughly 28 minutes to less than 12, because of time constraints because two of the earlier matches went long and ate up that 16 minutes.
105
106It was getting on PPV that hurt the show because they had to be off the air at 10:58 p.m. Eastern time, although they were able to get another 60 seconds through frantic phone calls. As it was, they were screaming at the wrestlers in that match to go home, and the Young Bucks hit the Meltzer driver on Bandido for the pin, and the announcers immediately signed off with three seconds to spare.
107
108From most accounts, the problems were in the Joey Janela vs Adam Page match which went four minutes over, and far more in the Kazuchika Okada vs. Marty Scurll match, which went 12 minutes over. Janela admitted to going over and said he felt terrible.
109
110Scurll vs. Okada was strange. Many considered it the best match on the show and the general consensus was it was No. 2,behind Omega vs. Pentagon. It was unique because everyone expected Okada would win. Scurll said this was the biggest match of his career and he wasn’t going to do any comedy. Before the match started, in a comedy bit, the two guys (I believe Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian doing a takeoff on The Muppets characters Statler & Waldorf on BTE) confronted Scurll before the match and actually told him that everyone knew Scurll was going to come close, get some near falls, lose in the end but get everyone’s respect. And that’s what happened so the only thing I can think of is with the audience they had, the idea they told the finish right before the match was a way to make them think the obvious finish wouldn’t be the finish, and Scurll could win. The crowd was way behind Scurll when he got his near falls and submissions. Scurll claimed that he was told by Nick Jackson not to cut anything out, and I guess took it that way. It’s really hard to say what happened since Scurll believes he’s been unjustifiably made the villain in this post-show story, but it was the biggest thing talked about after the show, how he and Okada kept wrestling far past their time cue and with the exception of Janela vs. Page, everyone else hit their time cues pretty much perfectly.
111
112That is the difference between an indie house show where there is more leeway, or a streaming show where it can go until it ends, and a TV shoot or PPV where time cues are far more important.
113
114It was very clear with time constraints that it was a problem with not enough time for two matches that both would be expected to be 20 minutes plus, plus the entrances.
115
116Fans who were at ringside noted that in both of the last matches they could hear the people running the show going crazy at Okada and Scurll for minutes on end, telling them to go home, and they both ignored it.
117
118We were told that in the production truck they were screaming the message to those at ringside to tell them to go home, and multiple times fans at ringside could hear those stationed at ringside to say that, but they kept wrestling. The same happened in the main event, as they were screamed at them to go home, and were scared of going off the year with the main event still in progress would be a disaster.
119
120Even making up time by rushing Okada and Scurll out and cutting back on the six-man tag entrances, they went only 11:44, and that was cutting it to the last seconds as those in production were freaking out as it didn’t look like they were working to the finish when they were told to. But when they were told it had to end at that very second, Nick called out Meltzer driver and they hit the finish, and got off the air with three seconds to spare.
121
122One person with close involvement to the main event noted to us how unselfish the Young Bucks were in the match, as in cutting back from 27-29 minutes to under 12, they cut out a lot of their own big moves and in particular, made sure Bandido, the least known wrestler of the six, would get his focused moments in as a priority of the short match. They also came up with the spot where he gave all three of them the huracanrana because they knew it would tear the house down and the focus on him to build that spot was the key point of the match, particularly since Bandido was the one doing the job in the end.
123
124Hindsight is always 20/20. Obviously they didn’t need the MJF vs. Matt Cross opener. The wrestling was good in the match, but it was a match that nobody expected and had no build. I know that there is a feeling MJF, because he’s one of the new school guys who is more old school, relying on an arrogant personality and his talking above doing coo moves (although he did some of them) is going to be a future star and I think the feeling was they wanted him on that show to get his first major national exposure outside of MLW. Still, Cross was the one who went over, although that didn’t really matter to this audience. Most figured both to be in the Battle Royal and it wasn’t advertised. The Amell vs. Daniels match would have been better shorter, but Amell’s goal was to work the best celebrity match ever. I think there are NFL and NBA stars used as gimmicks who have done better, but as far as a celebrity who isn’t an athlete out there that long in the modern era where standards are higher, he was easily the best.
125
126One name from the past noted that this was like a situation in 1994 at SummerSlam on August 29, 1994. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart in a cage match, the WWF title match, was put on next to last. They went over their time by several minutes, with the cage match lasting 32:17. It was also considered one of the greatest WWF matches of the era. But in going so long, the last match, the real Undertaker vs. Fake Undertaker (Brian Lee) match had to end at 8:57, which was in theory far too short. And there was heat on Bret and Owen in some circles for the main event being cut back, especially since it was Undertaker who had so much respect. But in hindsight, the Undertaker vs. Undertaker match was forgettable, not good at all, and probably best kept short anyway. Bret vs. Owen was so good that in that case, it ended up being for the better. Okada vs. Scurll definitely benefitted as far as a match went from going 26:05 as opposed to 14:00, but it greatly hurt what could have been a classic main event, a match, based on the abbreviated version that we did see, had a shot at being a legit five-star capper on what will go down as an historical event. Sometimes things hit and sometimes they miss. It’s very different, but in some ways similar, to that shooting star press that Brock Lesnar went to do on Kurt Angle at WrestleMania that would have taken what was a great match into being viewed forever as one of the great matches in WWE history. Sometimes fate is kind, and sometimes it isn’t. And with Rey Mysterio Jr., headed to WWE, it’s a main event that can’t be duplicated and brought back for a later show.
127
128A lot of people were upset by the Joey Ryan angle, which was a spoof of Undertaker’s druids (there were other takeoffs on the WWF including Cody and Aldis mimicking moments from Hogan vs. Rock–one of his personal favorite matches) and Jay Lethal’s split personality where he went from being himself to thinking he was Randy Savage, complete with Lanny Poffo in his corner, Brandi Rhodes briefly in the role as his Elizabeth, opponent Flip Gordon Hulking up after taking three elbows off the top rope, and even Lethal coming to Savage’s “Pomp and Circumstance” ring music, and wearing a ring outfit that Savage wore in some of his biggest matches. A rich collector, who bought the outfit, and was in contact with Poffo, loaned it to Lethal for this one match.
129
130For those who watched BTE, they knew Ryan had to confront Hangman Page. The fans live expected it, but people who didn’t watch BTE and were watching with the idea of seeing a loaded PPV and thinking it would be like a New Japan match, weren’t thrilled. They showed a video of the “dead” Ryan on his back, and suddenly his penis got hard and erect and came to back life, and announcer Don Callis made reference to his being resurrected. Some were offended on religious grounds. Others didn’t like the fact that the druids were dressed up as white dicks. Ryan then did his routine, confronting Page and putting Page’s hand on Ryan’s dick and Ryan doing the dick flip. This was definitely a moment that was the one that separated the live audience, which reacted well to it and with the build, saw it as something that had to happen for storyline reasons and others who thought the white dicks were just like a bad WWE idea.
131
132But we did get a lot of feedback from people who noted that they loved the show but that was one of the moments when they were watching with family or friends, and it was that WWE moment where they were embarrassed they asked their friends to see the show, or that they had their families watched with them, or had that feeling of hoping no family member walked into the room at that moment.
133
134Another surprise was the appearance of Chris Jericho, who did his first non-WWE show in the United States in nearly 20 years. Jericho, who is on tour with Fozzy, performed the night before in Little Rock, came to Chicago and hid out. The lights went out after Kenny Omega had just pinned Pentagon Jr.
135
136When they came on, Jericho was in the ring in a Pentagon Jr. costume, with the same face paint under the mask. Because of his tattoo, some immediately recognized it was Jericho and everyone was supposed to when he hit the first codebreaker on Omega. He then hit a second codebreaker and told Omega he would see him on the Jericho cruise, where The Young Bucks & Jericho are facing Omega & Scurll & Cody in the featured match in late October (at this point the cruise is not sold out, but it is booked for roughly 2,500 people and is 100 cabins shy of capacity).
137
138Jericho rushed out of the building and took a private jet to get to Kansas City in time for his concert later that night.
139
140A side note is that event though it probably would have made the result predictable to this crowd, they really should have made it an IWGP title match, to get that belt over on such a big show and get Omega over as champion more for the U.S. market. I understand in New Japan thinking and why it wasn’t even a consideration, because they are promoting Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii on 9/15 for the title. Still, there were a lot of fans wanting Omega to come out with the title belt, even if it wasn’t a title match. And it would have been a good way to promote the championship outside of Japan and add to its prestige in Japan with a title match against a star who doesn’t work for New Japan before such a big crowd.
141
142It would be cool to add a major star in Mexico to the list of challengers for that IWGP belt. And since Pentagon does work for CMLL at times now, the idea he’s an AAA guy shouldn’t be held against him. And quite frankly it wasn’t, because at WrestleMania, when Highspots wanted Omega & Ibushi vs. Penta & Fenix, New Japan nixed allowing it because Penta & Fenix were AAA guys.
143
144Cody defeated Nick Aldis in an NWA title match that had a really shocking reaction from the moment Cody came out to perhaps the largest pop of the night. Cody’s entourage included Diamond Dallas Page, Tommy Dreamer, his wife Brandi, dog Pharaoh (who got a big pop) and Ray “Glacier” Lloyd. Page and Lloyd among others were featured in videos training him for the match. Aldis came out with Tim Storm, Jeff Jarrett, Samuel Shaw and Shawn Daivari. Daivari was there to take a diamond cutter from DDP. Storm and Jarrett were there as former NWA champions. Earl Hebner was used as referee to give it the 80s NWA feel. There were attempts to get both Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay to announce the match. Schiavone had a college football commitment. Aldis had asked for Tenay to announce it with the idea it would give it more of an authentic feel. Tenay never spoke to Cody directly, only Conrad Thompson, and they never made a deal.
145
146This match was in some ways the most noteworthy of the show. Due to the work of Aldis and Cody in the buildup and the video productions of David Lagana for Billy Corgan’s NWA, the crowd was buzzing for this like it was a major championship boxing or UFC match. Cody was the complete babyface, perhaps the biggest on the show (Omega and The Young Bucks were right with him) and the explosion when he won the title was one of the bigger world title change explosions in the U.S. in a long time. It was proof that if you build something as important in the right setting, people will take it as important. This NWA title win pop was bigger than most NWA title win pops when it was really the NWA title in its heyday. The match had its shenanigans, including a DDP run-in giving Daivari a diamond cutter when he tried to interfere, and Brandi taking an elbow drop off the top rope by Aldis when she covered Cody to protect him, to further cement him as a heel. But overall, the two attempted to pace it like an old NWA title match, with elements of Ric Flair, as well as a Rock vs. Hulk Hogan scene thrown in, and Cody bleeding. So Dusty Rhodes and Cody become the first father-son NWA champions in history (Fritz Von Erich was AWA champion while Kerry was NWA champion).
147
148A Cody vs. Aldis title rematch is scheduled for the NWA 70th anniversary show at the Nashville Fairgrounds on 10/21. That feels too early to have Aldis get the title back without it feeling like it cheapened the moment in hindsight this show. But there is politics involved as Cody has an exclusive ROH contract until the end of the year, but ROH allowed him to win and defend the title here.
149
150The biggest clear message was the crowd response before, at the beginning and for the finish of the NWA title match.
151
152This was the first major show to harness the power of social media. But as far as the promotion of it as Woodstock for the hardcore fan, a pro wrestling business is not the concert business and while Woodstocks are cool, it's about creating enduring success. The first ECW One Night Stand felt like a monumental moment, but in hindsight, with no follow up, it was like a great show in a vacuum. AAA’s La Revancha at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1993 sold 16,742 tickets and had 17,500 in the building, turned away 8,000, and had a much hotter crowd than this. Many of the stars of that show went on to become huge stars in the U.S. That was legitimately the biggest U.S. pro wrestling crowd of 1993 and were numbers ahead of what WWE could do in the same building for the 1991 WrestleMania and above anything WCW ever did in the market. But AAA’s success in the U.S. lasted two years and it was gone.
153
154All In is a major wrestling historical event because it showed the what is possible, at least on occasion, and there is no precedent for an independent event with no television (ROH was the only television that really promoted the show, and it doesn’t have a Chicago affiliate), 0nor part of an existing local promotion selling 10,000 tickets in more than 60 years, let alone selling them so quickly.
155
156While it is very different than ECW was, there is very much a spirit of ECW and similarities. It was creating an environment where fans can make a personal connection with the performers, who got over not due to being part of a big budget television show but as part of a mom & pop operation.
157
158ECW had its successes, changed lives, changed the business, was part of history, and nearly 18 years after its true and very real death, its letters are still chanted at arenas, including on this night, even when attempts were made to kill those chants.
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160By traditional business standards, ECW was a failure. It closed down, went into bankruptcy,. But in the end the ECW initials were not a failure. WWE, which purchased the intellectual property in bankruptcy court, has made far more marketing its past through DVDs and its value to its network, and through other measures than the original ECW lost. So it was a net business positive.
161
162ECW never had a live event like All In. But it had real success on PPV. It ran more events and drew more fans than ROH, and its television was more widely viewed. If, in 2000, the scenario Paul Heyman envisioned, USA would lose WWF because TNN, later Spike, now Paramount, was offering what was then unheard of many for programming, $28 million for Raw, but USA would still want wrestling. WCW would die because of incompetence and far more extreme money losses, but TBS had always had wrestling from day one and it was part of the DNA and legacy of the station. And one or the other would pick him up, and actually pay him for programming since they were used to doing so. A few million a year in television money combined with greater exposure from a stronger station would make ECW viable. Of course, that never happened and the business changed.
163
164TNA never had a live event like All In. It didn't have the success of ECW on PPV, but at times when it had the right match, the right creative or a reputation of delivering a series of strong shows, it did reasonably well. It had the backing of a major energy corporation, but it made mistakes, its popularity fell and its network nixed the programming.
165
166But it still was able to pay its top performers well to work far less taxing schedules than WWE. It attracted far bigger names who had drawn more money and were some of the biggest legends of the modern era of the sport. It still exists. It is on a smaller budget and is still losing money. It is in a challenging position of trying to undo its past and create its future.
167
168People who say that for the first time since 2001, that wrestlers have an alternative is not the case. There are a handful of people in ROH and New Japan making big money. Others are doing very well. Others on the independent scene are able to make a living building a name to where they hope WWE or New Japan takes notice, and some have springboarded off Lucha Underground to do so.
169
170New Japan is much stronger than in years, and, particularly since January 4, 2017, and taking another jump on January 4, 2018, is much stronger internationally than ever before. They's had years of great growth. But there is still a reality. With the exception of Cody, a unique character, and perhaps Neville, nobody has voluntarily left WWE for New Japan and the independents. There were people at times who were frustrated with WWE and left for TNA, for a bigger push and more manageable schedule, and in the end, almost all the major ones who did so went back.
171
172While New Japan has had at least informal feeler talks with a number of WWE stars whose deals are coming due, you don't see people, even those whose fortunes are going nowhere, leaving to try and do what Juice Robinson has done.
173
174ROH has had the biggest year in its history and, if they can keep the nucleus of their roster, a big if, they will probably continue the pattern of bigger big shows and probably stay steady for the rank-and-file shows.
175
176If they don't, they will probably revert back to their level of a few years ago. Or they could grow significantly if the powers at Sinclair see the recent success and feel the long-term value of the programming is worth it. But it's hard. Sinclair, the owner of syndicated stations, isn't conducive to live specials, and in television or streaming, that seems to be the future value in growth or a sports franchise.
177
178Pro wrestling, like combat sports, are about creating personalities that resonate with the audience strong enough that you want to follow their career arcs and follow their journeys to achieve tangible goals, whatever they may be.
179
180In the case of All In, ROH and New Japan, the tangible goals were to draw 10,000 fans in Chicago and to draw enough fans to Madison Square Garden that it is successful. They over achieved in both cases, creating strong momentum in the process.
181
182At the same time there are a number of moving parts. New Japan hiring a non-Japanese person from outside the pro wrestling industry to try and expand their Japanese growth into new markets was a gigantic step. And risky, given the uniqueness of the pro wrestling industry and world.
183
184There are many things behind the success of All In. Some, like with ECW, was a backlash against corporate wrestling. ECW's theme to its fans about being he enemy of WWF and WCW, even while Paul Heyman had a business relationship with WWF and was friends with WCW booker Kevin Sullivan. But it was part of his public mission statement, that the big companies don’t have the best wrestling and we do. Yet, the same ECW fans in the front row at the ECW Arena raging against the machine were also in crowd shots at both WCW and WWF shows In Philadelphia.
185
186Here, everyone is careful not to make WWE, or anyone, the enemy or the bad guy, even if they could get the same big crowd pop Heyman used to get doing that very thing. But it was very clear, a lot of fans were there because they don't like WWE. Some were there because they like more than one brand and style of wrestling. Some were there to see better matches. Some were there as part of a connection of a social network where they can meet up with people they've connected with through modern technology. Many are there because they feel passionate about wanting to see people they like succeed, and realize the real winning and losing in wrestling is the box office.
187
188What we've learned is there are more people like this than anyone first imagined. Even when shooting for the goal of 10,000 tickets, The Young Bucks and Cody, with no precedent behind the undertaking, were hoping for 5,000 to 6,000 tickets sold the first day and slowly moving tickets for the next few months, and hoping to fill the building with the walk up. I was never told about this, but Marty Scurll at a press conference said there was an idea of, if things went well and they were going to hit the number with the walk-up, of claiming at some point there were 9,999 tickets out and complete the storyline where I'd be the person who bought the 10,000th ticket. Obviously that idea became moot when they sold out instantly.
189
190There were so many valuable lessons learned from the promotion of the event, from the potential audience being so much larger than expected, the willingness of such a large number of people from around the world to come in for a show (and keep in mind the show sold out before the Starrcast fan fest was ever announced).
191
192Then again, New Japan has a track record in the U.S. we can learn from., They also undershot in their first appearance in Long Beach, the doubleheader that sold out instantly in a venue too small and at prices too low.
193
194They undershot a second time. The third time, they came back arguably too soon, charged far more and didn't get the traveling fan, largely due to All In. Still, they sold almost all the expensive seats and didn't sell out, but did reasonably well at the Cow Palace. A fourth time, back in Long Beach, they went back to a 5,000-seat venue and are struggling with ticket sales.
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196Still, in a new market, New York, they sold out instantly with far more of a local crowd than expected. But that was the lure of the first time New Japan was in not just New York, but the aura of Madison Square Garden itself. But no arena has the lure of Madison Square Garden. When the fan base goal is to support the company and be part of new goals, well, I don't know where you go from there. Wrestle Kingdom America in a stadium is a gigantic risk. But who knows. One year ago the idea of running Madison Square Garden, let alone selling it out so quickly, would have been brushed aside as unthinkable.
197
198Still, no matter if that is or isn't feasible, this is not the same business where it is about moving tickets and selling PPVs. It's television deals. It's about becoming franchise programming on a television station. That's a tricky game because without a track record of doing ratings, it's hard to get a station to take a chance. But today, without a good time slot on a good station, you aren't getting ratings. Lucha Underground and Impact air in prime time, on weak stations, and don't do close to the numbers needed to get the funding from a television station that allows for growth, stability, and to have the revenue to attract and keep top talent.
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200Some undeniably saw this and were part of this as a protest against WWE. We heard that theme from far too many people to dismiss it as insignificant in this story. Some saw it as a way to simply show that WWE isn't all there is to pro wrestling. But a lot had little or nothing to do with WWE but simply it was a lesson in the power of social media and a fundamental change in pro wrestling, that while television is still the key to creating stars, it is no longer the only thing. But television money is still the key to long-term sustainability, because house show business and streaming service revenue will only go so far, and cheap streaming service price and the glut of free viewing product has taken PPV from the key revenue stream to yesterday's business model.
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202Most of the storylines were created on Being the Elite, a tongue-in-cheek show that has made the cast, to its audience, a different kind of celebrities. BTE has made more new stars this past year than Lucha Underground on television, ROH on television, Impact, on television, and New Japan on television, while having fewer weekly viewers than all of those Still, BTE's credibility comes from its stars performing at a high level in New Japan or ROH, giving them real world credibility,
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204The show ended without an announcement of All In 2, which was the ultimate climax the fans at the Sears Center wanted more than anything. There are too many variables and too many questions. The questions as to whether there will be a next show probably won’t be answered for several more months. Other questions will be answered next year. Some will remain unanswered for some time to come. Even if it is proven there is sustainable interest at a high level, there are limitations in some aspect without lucky breaks and money behind it.
205
206The key players in the ring, Cody, Omega, Young Bucks and Page (Scurll was not in the ring for the finish and he’s the only one whose contract doesn’t expire by the end of January) vowed to stick together in their upcoming negotiations and certainly left one with the impression they aren’t going to WWE. The best we can say right now is this. The vow to stick together among the five is legit. The decision of what that means hasn’t been made and WWE, which has made strong overtures, is an option. It’s not going to be an easy decision. There are many different things to weigh, some obvious and others not so obvious. The belief is that WWE is not blind to the obvious angle and has the same basic idea that would be obvious regarding how to use them at first. But historically, they’ve always screwed that up in the past. Then again, they screwed up Bill Goldberg royally the first time and did it as good as it could have been done the second time, and that was the modern time.
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208“Contract season’s here, right?,” Matt Jackson said to Fightful.com. “I think it’s been 20 years since there’s been wrestlers who have the leverage that we currently have. We’re aware of that. We know the position that we have. Next year will be the year we get paid, no matter where we’re wrestling.”
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210There are many ways this can go with ROH, New Japan, WWE, Impact run by Anthem, a Billy Corgan-run NWA all in the game. That nucleus would also be able to pull other key talent, notably Kota Ibushi at least for limited big events and perhaps Chris Jericho, and it’s a group that can, handled correctly, jump start almost anything that is at ground zero now, or can be viable for someone at any level to the top of the mountain.
211
212It also could be some combination of all or someone new such as a television station with a long-term wrestling goal wanting to create a franchise, and this event is quite the impressive pilot episode.
213
214But as far as changing the world, if you go back 20 years, there were bigger stars over that time period than Rey Mysterio Jr. But as far as fundamentally changing the world, perhaps nobody had more influence in the creation of the style that the best young talent aspires to achieve. Sure, there's Bret Hart's execution and Shawn Michaels, and all the people who grew up copying realistic modern version of strikes and German suplexes from Japanese videos, hardcore from ECW, CZW and FMW, and acrobatic high spots and dives from CMLL. But the fundamental change of pro wrestlers from being huge guys to doors being open to anyone, as long as the talent can stand out in some form, changed because of Mysterio’s success in getting over in WCW.
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216The key question, sustainability, won't be known until and unless they try again. It could be an idea that was the first time the new entertainment group hits the market with something big. Or it could be the building block of something that becomes an annual event that becomes bigger over time. It could be a unique blip on the radar that people will look back at fondly, and just be the first ECW One Night Stand show.
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218Mysterio Jr. had the most interesting analogy, and he was right. For a lot of talent on this show, this was their When Worlds Collide, the landmark 1994 PPV show that would thought of at the time as one of the greatest PPV shows ever.
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220AAA at the time looked to be the new thing in American pro wrestling. They were outdrawing WWF and killing WCW in Los Angeles. But here we are 24 years later. AAA faded quickly from the U.S. scene, and never followed up on that success. Future shows didn't draw well. There was never another PPV show in the U.S. during that era.
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222But here we are 24 years later. Mysterio turned out to be one of the most influential and important wrestling characters of modern times. The style on that show and that AAA is an important part of modern pro wrestling, not just on indies, but in WWE. Wrestlers are smaller and faster. The vibe of wrestling is different. Not that show alone, but things the stars of that show introduced into the U.S. Marketplace greatly influenced its future. Many others on that show became stars on the mainstream U.S. scene, and influential people over the future of the business.
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224Even if there isn't another All In, and if the core group sticks together, it makes no sense for there not to be one, some of the talent on this show and fans will look back on this weekend and always remember it as a career highlight. No matter what direction the business takes or their career takes, they will remember it. Many noted during the week that this was the biggest show they had ever been on. Whether it was the throwback to the 1980s NWA title, seeing three of the best wrestlers win the world, arguably the three best, at their peak, on the same show, along with the best tag team. It's safe to say some of the talent on this show will be future superstars, and others that we think will be future superstars, may also never pan out.
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226But even if this one night said differently, the stakes in this industry are too high. A message was sent, but this is not the 80s and the game is completely different, even if for one day it seemed like it wasn't.
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228This, like all businesses in major entertainment fields are controlled by huge corporations. Whether the right person in a huge corporation happened to be at the show, saw the merchandise lines, and thought there was untapped potential, who knows. There is, but that doesn't mean anything big will happen. And there is red tape. There's ROH, run by a huge company that to this point has seen wrestling as this nice little low budget operation that they've kept afloat at a small level, watched grow, but has never taken steps for the growth to be anything more than small slow steps. There's New Japan, a company with great history that, in spite of the issues in the television business in its home country that keep it from being mainstream like it once was, is also growing annually. And for the first time, thanks to the world growing smaller, it has far more fans outside Japan than ever before. But with the world growing smaller , the WWE is growing larger. The value of being from the U.S., instead of Japan as its home base in the worldwide entertainment world in the world, and its financial advantages make it impossible, no matter what the product quality is, for the balance of power to change unless WWE corporately pulls a WCW-like self destruction. And that's not going to happen.
229
230All In was still the mom-and-pop store in the world of WalMart. Cody's sister Teil came up with the name of the show. The Young Bucks' father, Matt Massie Sr. came up with the musical score. The arena guy from their home promotion who has been in the business for 35 years, Gary Juster of ROH gave them a crash course in how to book a building and put together a show, and gave them full blessing because contractually none of them should have been able to do the show with their existing exclusive U.S./Ontario deals and only allowed for PWG as the exception. Matt Jackson's wife, Dana Massie was running around coordinating one thing after another. The giant fan, successful mortgage broker turned podcast host Conrad Thompson, with no experience, ran the convention. It was the farthest thing from the corporate machine.
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232Whether Sinclair or another corporation, or a TV station executive from somewhere else potential in a new live sport that people consider the savior of television, or an Internet company wanting to attract a young audience with a product that they feel has growth potential could happen. But there is no guarantee it will happen. Some may be scared off by the lack of a track record past the grassroots level. As effective as BTE or some of the NWA videos were in pulling this show off, there is no history, whether it be a television show that does a million live viewers on a good night, generating big money on PPV or even millions of hits on YouTube. There may be potential, but a prospective player would have to spend a great deal, take a big risk, and ultimately, realize they are in a big fight with Vince McMahon. The safe bet is to say why bother. But the risky bet could be a winning one with enduring stakes.
233
234The story of this show dates back seven years. Matt Massie, aka Matt Jackson, and his brother were working for TNA as Generation Me, Matt & Jeremy Buck. He was broke. His wife was about to give birth to a daughter. He was worried about making rent on his apartment. And in coming back from an Impact taping, when he tried to pay a $1.99 sandwich at Popeye’s at the airport, his credit card was declined and he had to borrow money from his brother. They were always good wrestlers, but good wrestlers are a dime a dozen, and starving on your own is one thing, but when you are about to have a family, it’s something different. He thought about quitting, but instead, he and his brother looked at Colt Cabana as a role model, how he would set up shop and make his money selling merchandise at shows.
235
236And that’s where their empire started. That and having the best matches on the indie scene and getting a buzz for doing so, and doing things to get attention from the new frontier of social media. At first, they kept their wrestling price low enough to get constant work, three or four shows weekly, with the key money being setting up shop before and after the show, treating every fan like they were their friend, while selling their T-shirts. For some fans, buying a $20 T-shirt was more a tip of gratitude for two guys they knew were working hard after giving them a great match that night. Their T-shirts and move creativity made them underground stars. I remember A.J. Styles, when he worked with them as Bullet Club, marveling to me at the kind of travel schedule they kept and the level of work they did. Finally it paid off with a New Japan deal, which gave them credibility in many fans’ eyes as legitimate stars. Eventually, they signed an ROH contract that guaranteed them a nice, but not outrageous income.
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238All those T-shirts they sold wound up everywhere. Bullet Club shirts were by far, with the exception of WWE shirts, the best selling merchandise in pro wrestling.
239
240After a Young Bucks vs. Hardys ladder match in Lakeland, FL, drew 3,500 fans over WrestleMania week, nearly selling out a 4,000 seat arena, they talked about something bigger. Throw in Kenny Omega, who was frustrated that New Japan was aiming small outside the home country. New Japan finally came to the U.S., first running a 2,600 seat arena and then a 4,700 seat arena in Long Beach and selling out both instantly, instead of running a 10,000 seat arena.
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242There was talk from that show in Lakeland, a little over a month before the tweet exchange that made this show somewhat of a real thing, that the Bucks and Cody would try and run a major arena show on their own. Then came the question to me as to whether ROH could draw 10,000 fans for a live show after the success in Lakeland. They needed the Hardys, who were a super hot act and were no longer available, and the Young Bucks, and the climax of a feud, and WrestleMania weekend, to hit 3,500. No time soon seemed like the logical answer. Because they already were batting around the idea, they weren’t happy with that response, and Cody said to let him have the Bucks, Omega and three months of promotion and he’d take that bet. Granted, it was actually not an ROH show, and it was 15 months later, but it was the same nucleus of guys.
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244When New Japan sold out its two shows as soon as tickets went on sale in a 2,600-seat set-up, that was considered unheard of at the time. New Japan didn’t expect that. WWE didn’t expect that. Nobody in U.S. wrestling in power expected that. Yet, fan after fan that came up to me the night before tickets were put on-sale since this was WrestleMania weekend of 2017, to say they had to get on-line first thing in the morning because both shows were selling out immediately. Still, that’s a long way from 10,000.
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246The second New Japan Long Beach show, with Omega & Ibushi vs. Young Bucks almost surely would have sold 10,000 tickets as this time it was too big a match and New Japan totally undershot. They sold their 4,300 ticket and put 4,700 in the building in minutes, before even one match was announced. It was almost as if they gave away the market value of that match by putting it on a show that had already sold out, but they had nothing else they perceived as big for a U.S. audience, particularly with it being a live television event.
247
248It was pretty clear by that point All In would be a success. Even when first teased the idea of 10,000, a number they established as the barometer of success or failure, based on the Tweet, and wrestling history, wasn’t a lock. But the show would do fine because they were going to come close to that number even in a worst case scenario, and they were going to sell a ton of merchandise at the show. That was the worst case scenario.
249
250Being the Elite got more popular and the Omega vs. Cody slow build off that show and off events in New Japan Pro Wrestling, climaxed with 6,000 fans selling out a show in New Orleans at the Lakefront Arena.
251
252But that was still a special match with a tremendous long-term build, and while it did sell out in advance, it was not a first day sellout and it was still WrestleMania weekend.
253
254Make no mistake about it. We are at an industry crossroads. There will be changes going forward from this show. We will probably have more inside irony and goofiness in storylines merged with great athleticism in the product mix going forward, and more use of comedic and dramatic storytelling videos.
255
256Whether it's good or bad, the product will get more spectacular. But as far as the market share of the industry, or how strong a WWE alternative can be, there is no certainty. There are too many moving pieces and too many changing parts. The variables are huge and it is those variables that will tell the story.
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258Wrestling may get a lot more interesting for the long run. Or it may just get a lot more interesting until 4/6.
259
260These next several months will in the long run be far more important in the big picture than this past weekend. But no matter how it all turns out, these past few months are the catalyst, and either the beginning, or the peak, of a unique chapter in wrestling that has already happened.
261
262The show opened with a Young Bucks and Cody introduction, They had some pyro go off, which came across as a spoof on WWE dropping pyro and got a big reaction. They were very careful to not say, or even insinuate in commentary, anything negative on WWE, but as noted, there was a strong anti-WWE vibe in the audience. Still, there were no negative to WWE chants. They said how the show should start with a legend, and Road Warrior Animal came out riding a motorcycle to the ring.
263
2641. Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky beat ROH tag champs Mark & Jay Briscoe in a non-title match in 12:33. The crowd was hot with an “SCU” chant. Fans were chanting “SCU’ all weekend. There were loud “All In” chants to start the show. Kazarian came out with trunks like early Rocky Balboa and Sky had Apollo Creed shorts. Lots of big moves. Mark jumped over the top rope with a double foot stomp on Sky. Kazarian made a hot tag and did a rolling reverse cradle on one and a Northern Lights suplex on the other at the same time. Sky gave Mark a belly-to-belly over the top rope onto Jay. Kazarian did a plancha into a huracanrana on Mark which tore the house down. Sky did a running flip dive on both. Mark Briscoe set up a die hard (Razor’s edge off the middle rope) on Kazarian, but Scorpio jumped from the mat and did a Frankensteiner on Mark. Jay used the Jay driller on Kazarian and Mark followed with the elbow off the top for a near fall. The Briscoes set up the Doomsday Device Kazarian, but as Mark came off the top, Kazarian caught him in twisting powerslam off Jay’s shoulders to the ground for the pin. ***3/4
265
2662. Flip Gordon won the Over the Budget Battle Royal to get a shot at Jay Lethal’s title later in the show in 17:02. This was one of the best Battle Royals in years. Unlike most which are just guys messing around and going over, this entire match was planned out by producers B.J. Whitmer, Adam Birch (Joey Mercury) and Mark LoMonica (Bully Ray). Almost everyone had a chance to shine. Right at the start, Bully Ray pulled El Hijo de Chico El Luchador (who was set up because the actual Chico, who is Rocky Romero, was on BTE and asked if he could have one of his family members be in this match). This, in hindsight, was how Gordon got onto the show. Chico himself couldn’t be there since he’s Rocky Romero and he was already in the match. Bully power bombed Chico through a table, although he lost him on the first try. Dalton Castle, who is injured, was helping with the announcing. Trent Baretta hit a tope on Bully and then Jordynnne Grace did a tope on Baretta. Ethan Page kicked the hell out of Grace on the floor. That was a spot that got a big reaction from the fans in the building but would probably be viewed as a negative by most TV execs. Colt Cabana did an Asai moonsault onto a bunch of guys. Billy Gunn and Tommy Dreamer teased a double tope, but instead, both held up and just climbed to the floor. Castle claimed that Moose wore a size 32 shoe, which is ridiculous. Moose came off the top rope with a crossbody and several people caught him put him over the top rope on the apron. So everyone figured he’d come back in, but then Marko Stunt dropkicked Moose to the floor. Stunt is a really tiny guy, he looks 12 but is actually about 23, and he’s much smaller than Rey Mysterio Jr., really the size of a small mini in Mexico, but is very talented. Brian Cage did a power superplex on Dreamer. Brandon Cutler was the second person eliminated. After Chuckie T and Baretta hugged, Punishment Martinez threw both of them out. Romero did his forever clothesline over and over until Cage threw him out. Cheeseburger came off the top rope for a crossbody, but Cage caught him and threw him over the top rope. Cage and Martinez then played big guys trading flying moves. Hurricane Helms got his shine, by choke slamming both Martinez and Cage to a big pop. Page and Helms were fighting on the apron. Page knocked Helms off the apron and then Cabana ran across the ring and nailed Page with the big apple, a flying hip attack, to knock him to the floor and eliminate him. Tommy Dreamer, dressed up in polka dots to honor Dusty Rhodes (the same Dusty Rhodes who in one of the last tweets before his death asked people to not do exactly that, that said Dreamer is only trying to honor him) started hitting people with cookie sheets and garbage can lids. Dreamer gave Martinez a Death Valley bomb, or the Spicolli driver in ECW parlance (and called that here) but Bully Ray hit Dreamer with a garbage can and threw him out. Stunt then started throwing all kinds of chops on Bully, who didn’t register a thing. Jimmy Jacobs, wearing a hideously ugly dress, got into it with Austin Gunn (Austin Sopp, the son of Billy Gunn, dressed in Bully Gunn tights). He gave Gunn the five knuckle shuffle. Billy Gunn went to save his son. Jacobs kissed Gunn on the lips. Gunn then drew Jacobs over the top. Austin Gunn clotheslined Martinez over the top. Bully threw out Austin Gunn. Cage pressed and threw out Billy Gunn. Stunt then hit the codebreaker on Cage which tore the house down. Bully threw out Stunt. Bully was the bully from start-to-finish, which made sense given where the finish was going. Grace picked up Cage and tried to do a full squat with him, but she actually lost him. Cage then pressed her overhead and gave her a buckle bomb. Grace came back and power bombed Cage out of the corner and clotheslined him out. The crowd went nuts that Grace eliminated Cage. This seemingly left Bully, Cabana and Grace as the last three. Cabana and Grace did the wazzup spot on Bully with Grace coming off the top rope with the head-butt. But Bully then threw out Grace. Cabana hit Bully with some chair shots but Bully came back to throw out Cabana to theoretically win. However, El Hijo de Chico el Luchador, who spent the entire match laid out on the broken table, came back to life and got into the ring. He gave Bully a superkick, unmasked as Gordon to a huge pop, and threw out Bully to win. With the layout and story, this was really great, especially the finish. Really it was the best traditional Battle Royal I’ve seen in many years. ****
267
2683. Matt Cross pinned MJF in 10:06. This match wasn’t advertised. Cross did a space flying Tiger drop early as well as a Frankensteiner off the top. MJF is pretty animated and is quite good in the ring for his level of experience. Barring injury, he’s likely to be a star some day not too far away. Cross got the pin with a shooting star press. **3/4
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2704. Christopher Daniels pinned Stephen Amell in 11:42. Jerry Lynn was referee. They showed John Mayer at ringside. Daniels did a Curry Man dance early. Amell did a dropkick and enzuigiri. Fans chanted “Arrow” at Amell. After Amell did a coast-to-coast dropkick, fans chanted “Amell’s awesome.” Amell came off the top rope for an elbow drop onto Daniels on a table on the floor. Daniels moved and Amell went through the table. Fans chanted “Broken Arrow” at this. Both were selling and Lynn then threw both guys into the ring rather than counting them out and told them to continue the match. Daniels got mad at Lynn and they teased a confrontation. Lynn took off his referee shirt and shoved Daniels back and Amell schoolboyed Daniels for a near fall. Daniels went for the Angel’s wings and Amell turned it into a bridging suplex for a near fall. Daniels won with a backbreaker and the best moonsault ever. The two shook hands and raised each others’ hands after the match. **3/4
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2725. Tessa Blanchard won a four-way over Dr. Britt Baker, Chelsea Green and Madison Rayne in 12:46. Baker came out to Adam Cole’s ROH music. She’s Cole’s girlfriend as well as a dentist. Green was doing a gimmick where half of her was a nutcase and the other half wasn’t, so unlike Jay Lethal who switched personalities, she was split in personalities. Blanchard came out and hugged both her father, Tully Blanchard, and stepfather, Terry “Magnum T.A.” Allen, who was at ringside in a wheelchair. They didn’t identify either of them when she did it in the building (they did on TV) and it got no reaction. I’d think Magnum would have gotten a huge reaction, but maybe not because he was before the time of most of the fans there. Still, I think a large percentage know him and his story. This was really good, but marred by a bad looking finish. Green and Blanchard were the standouts, but Baker is very impressive for her level of experience and Rayne was always in the right place. Blanchard is a superstar, she just has it and is aggressive and works that New Japan serious style. Green knows how to get over in a number of ways, both personality and using her looks and body. Blanchard used a codebreaker off the middle rope, the Magnum, on Baker. Blanchard pressed Rayne overhead and threw her over the top rope to the floor on the other two. Green did a tope. Blanchard dove over the top on everyone. Rayne did a plancha off the top rope to the floor. Green did Zack Ryder’s broski boot. This audience is such that the idea is everyone knows she’s Ryder’s girlfriend. The announcers tried to make a sly remark about it and where she got the move, and another said “Shinjiro Otani,” (who is probably who Ryder copied it from). Lots of near falls. The crowd gave them a standing ovation at one point. The biggest pop was Green giving Blanchard a Canadian
273
274Destroyer which led to another standing ovation. Blanchard used the hammerlock DDT on Baker, and it looked like both Green and Rayne made the save but the ref counted three. ***1/4
275
2766. Cody pinned Nick Aldis in 22:02 to win the NWA heavyweight title. Both came out with their entourages like it was a big boxing or MMA fight. It was unbelievable how electric the crowd was at the start. Earl Hebner went to give instructions but stumbled over his lines. He said the match could only end in pinfall or submission, when I guess he was supposed to say the title could only change via pinfall or submission. The crowd live was so loud. Cody did a tope. Aldis suplexed him on the floor. Cody did a springboard plancha to the floor but Aldis met him with a forearm. Hebner gave the “X” sign like Cody was injured as he just laid there. DDP came out and the fans started chanting “Yoga” at him, which pretty much said they weren’t buying the injury as anything but storyline. Shawn Daivari, who was part of Aldis’ stable, came out with a towel. He shoved DDP and DDP laid him out with a diamond cutter to a big easy pop. Cody came up bleeding and did a quick twisting powerslam. Cody missed a moonsault. Aldis did a fallaway slam on him off the middle rope. Aldis also used a splash off the top for a near fall. Aldis did a stampede style powerslam on the floor. Cody hit a spinning Alabama slam, after his first try losing Aldis and selling his back that had been worked over. Aldis used a scorpion deathlock, but Cody made the ropes. Aldis than hit a piledriver. He climbed to the top rope but Brandi jumped in the ring and covered Cody. Aldis still came off the top with the elbow. Aldis acted like he was shocked and felt bad about nailing Brandi with the elbow, so he can tell the story about how his own concern for her cost him the focus to win. The key is that Aldis had done nothing illegal so she never should have gotten in the ring. Fans still hated him for the elbow. Cody hit crossroads but Aldis kicked out. They traded punches and out of nowhere, Aldis went for a sunset flip, Cody blocked and sat down on him for the three count. The crowd reaction was enormous, and many were emotional and they treated the title change like it was totally real. It was bigger than all but the biggest world title change pops. ****
277
2787. Hangman Page pinned Joey Janela in a street fight in 20:10. This was a crazy match. Fans chanted “You killed Joey” for Joey Ryan. Janela had his girlfriend, Penelope Ford, in his corner. She did a set of spots late that tore down the house. She was reminiscent of Lita with the Hardys, but far more athletic and like a generation later version. She can clearly be a star. To keep up his BTE gimmick, Page never wore shoes in public the entire weekend, even when no fans were around. In the ring he did wear boots. Page hit a tope and Janela did one back all in the first minute. Then they got crazy. Page did a moonsault off the top rope to the floor. Page gave Janela a fall away slam on a chair. Janela put a chair down and set up a barrel from Cracker Barrel (one of the sponsors) on the floor, jumped off the chair and then off the barrel and did a flip dive several rows deep in the aisle. Later he tried to roll the barrel to run over Page, but Page leap frogged the barrel. Janela knocked him over the guard rail again but he came back with a buckshot lariat. Janela set up a ladder bridge on the floor. Page picked him up on the apron, walked along the apron with him on his shoulders and gave him a burning hammer off the apron onto the ladder bridge. That was not a pretty landing and Janela ended up with all kinds of bruises on his back and legs before this one was over. Ford jumped on Page’s back. He threw her off. He tried to hit her a few times but she did quick and crisp gymnastic backflips out of trouble and matrix style moves to avoid him and finally gave Page a stunner. Then she did a plancha off the top rope to the floor. Later, she was accidentally nailed with a table and ended up with a big bruise on her forehead that she covered up by wearing a headband over it. Janela did a windsprint clothesline. He set up two tables at the bottom of the stairs. Page came back and power bombed Janela from the ramp, threw him past the stairs and he went through one of the two tables. Fans chanted”Joey killer” since it looked like this was the second Joey he killed. After a buckshot lariat, Page hit the Rites of Passage but Ford broke up the pin. She brought out a bag and Page’s talking boots were in the bag that he threw away. He freaked out that the boots that gave him constant nightmares were back. Page superkicked her. Page and Janela ended up fighting at the top of a ladder with a table set up next to it. Fans chanted “safety first.” They didn’t get it. Page ended up using a phone and started hitting Janela in the head with it, as that’s how he killed Ryan. Page gave Janela the Rites of Passage off the nearly top of the ladder onto and through te table for the pin. The finish looked insane but Page did protect him as best he could. ****1/4
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280After the match they showed a film of Ryan dead in the same bed he was murdered in. Suddenly, he got an erection. Then eight giant white penises came out. Ryan came out. The place went nuts. Don Callis called it a resurrection. Ryan came into the ring and poured baby oil all over himself. He then put his lollipop down his pants. He grabbed Page’s hand and put it on his crotch and did the dick flip. The spot always gets over in the arena to the people who know it, and for the people who don’t, it has a very different effect. He pulled put the lollipop from his trunks, put it in Page’s mouth and superkicked him. The guys in the white penis costumes carried Page to the back. This was basically a spoof of every Undertaker druid angle. Fans were chanting “Rest in penis.” at this.
281
2828. Jay Lethal pinned Flip Gordon to retain the ROH title in 14:23. Lethal came out with Lanny Poffo, to Randy Savage’s music and acted like he was Randy Savage. It’s a spoof on the WWE Festus character where if he’s tapped on the shoulder he changes personality. The fans reacted to Lethal like he was Randy Savage in his prime. Poffo got one of the bigger pops as well. Gordon came out with Brandi Rhodes, dressed like a female servicewoman, since he was in the service. Lethal acted like she was Elizabeth and put her on his shoulder at one point to do the Savage & Elizabeth pose in the ring, and also chased her around and browbeat her like Savage used to do with Elizabeth. But Brandi hit him on the shoulder and turned him into Lethal. The problem was the crowd went quiet when he became Lethal even though the wrestling itself was good throughout. Gordon did two topes and a running flip dive and nearly killed him on the flip dive. Gordon followed with a twisting Sayama splash off the top. Poffo wanted Lethal to go to the top rope but he didn’t want to. So Poffo hit him in the shoulder and he turned back into Savage and did three Savage elbows off the top. Gordon kicked out and people booed Gordon kicking out of three of Savage’s finishes. Then Gordon started shaking like he was Hulk Hogan and the crowd came back for the campiness as he did the finger point and big boot, but no leg drop. He turned back into Lethal and won when Gordon was on the top rope and Lethal used a diamond cutter and followed with the Lethal injection. ***½
283
284After the match, they hugged. Bully Ray came out and attacked both. Bully was trying to whip Gordon with a chain without hurting him, which isn’t very easy. Poffo jumped in and Bully gave him a low blow. He set up a table but Cabana then ran in and speared Bully. They set up a Shield power bomb on Bully Ray through a table. The Shield power bomb spot didn’t get over as big as the old school WWF nostalgia did, but it definitely got a pop.
285
2869. Kenny Omega pinned Penta 0M in 17:46. The crowd was into this from the start, seeing it as a dream match. First Penta teased a dive and Omega jumped in and gave him a Frankensteiner. Omega teased a dive but Penta jumped in and gave him a sling blade. Penta hit Omega with a Terminator dive. Penta gave him a powerslam on the floor. Omega used a springboard plancha and a missile dropkick to the back. Omega used the snap dragon suplex, went for the One Winged Angel, but Penta got out and hit the back stabber. Omega used a Death Valley bomb and V trigger to the back. Penta did the Del Rio double foot stomp. Penta used a pump handle power bomb and sick looking package piledriver on the apron. He really drilled him and it didn’t look pretty at all. Penta used a double foot stomp off the top for a near fall. Omega came back with a sick looking spinning package piledriver and a V trigger. Omega went for the One Winged Angel but Penta punched his way out, and did the broken arm spot and hit a package piledriver for a near fall. Omega’s kicking out got a standing ovation. Penta was kicking the arm but Omega came back with a V trigger and a reverse Frankensteiner for a near fall. Omega finally hit the One Winged Angel, but lifted him with the other arm because his normal arm was injured, and got the pin. Omega wouldn’t let the ref raise his right arm since it was the one hurt and raised the left arm. After the match was the Jericho spot where he came out in the Penta costume and gave Omega two codebreakers. ****½
287
28810. Kazuchika Okada pinned Marty Scurll in 26:06. Ref Massao Hattori came out and got a standing ovation. Okada got the biggest reaction on the show except for Cody, Omega and the Bucks. Scurll did a tope. Okada used a DDT on the floor. The thing is this match as it was going was paced like a 20+ minute match. They were building it slowly and that’s even more clear when you watch it a second time. The crowd was very into the result here and came out of their seats when Scurll delivered a brainbuster for a near fall. Scurll used a top rope superplex. They traded lots of near falls. Scurll used a power bomb. Okada did a woo dropkick and an incredible looking missile dropkick. Okada hit the tombstone and set up the rainmaker, but Scurll did the breaking fingers spot. Scurll first got the chicken wing but Okada fell backwards on him to break it. He got it again, but Okada turned it into a cradle. Hattori was knocked down. Scurll came in with an All In umbrella and hit Okada with it and hit his own rainmaker on Okada for a great near fall. Okada did a desperation rainmaker but collapsed. Okada kept knocking Scurll down with forearms. Scurll spit in his face and slapped him in the face, went for the broken fingers spot, but Okada escaped and hit two rainmakers for the pin. ****1/4
289
29011. Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi beat Rey Mysterio Jr. & Rey Fenix & Bandido in 11:42. This match was nonstop tremendous. It was all perfectly timed great moves and the crowd was heavily into it. Bandido, the least known, got the most big spots in, including a spinning crossbody and Fosbury flop on Matt where he landed on his feet. Fenix hit the diamond cutter that he just won the AAA title with. I don’t think his being AAA champion was mentioned but it was notable they had world champions from ROH, New Japan and AAA, Impact’s woman’s champion, New Japan and ROH’s tag team champions and also had an NWA title change. The biggest pop was when Ibushi squared off with Mysterio. Ibushi did a moonsault into double knees to the chest on Bandido. Ibushi hit a Pele kick on Fenix and Bandido at the same time. Nick tagged in and did a crazy dive, and Fenix followed with one just as crazy. Mysterio did a top rope Asai moonsault. Fenix did a corkscrew springboard. Bandido did a corkscrew moonsault. Matt ran down the ramp and jumped and flipped over the stairs to wipe some people out. Matt threw Bandido into Ibushi’s German suplex. Bandido did a triple huracanrana. Mysterio did a springboard Thesz press on Matt, and went for a 619, but Matt blocked and set up a tombstone. Bandido jumped over the top rope and took Nick off the apron with a huracanrana. Mysterio hit the 619 on Matt. Fenix hit Matt with a Canadian Destroyer. Bandido & Fenix both did topes. Mysterio splashed on Matt but Matt kicked out. Bandido did a standing fallaway slam on Matt. The Bucks did a double superkick on Mysterio and Fenix. Matt hit a moonsault, on Bandido, Nick hit a 450 but Fenix saved. Finally the Bucks used the Meltzer driver on Bandido for the pin. ****½
291
292In what was one of the highlight segments of Raw of this year, the return of Shawn Michaels on 9/3 in Columbus, OH, with the idea he was there to predict the winner of the 10/6 Undertaker vs. HHH match, ended up as something much bigger.
293
294Michaels noted how most of the wrestlers interviewed said Undertaker would beat HHH, but that he agreed with Steve Austin, that even though Undertaker beat HHH in their biggest matches in the past, he thinks HHH has more left in the tank. He said he was surprised so many people were picking Undertaker and thought HHH had the advantage.
295
296Undertaker came out, with Michael Cole claiming that nobody expected him, not one person in the arena thought this could happen nor anyone watching at home. In reality, it was expected for a week.
297
298Undertaker noted that he had taken both Michaels and HHH down, beating Michaels twice at WrestleMania and HHH three times, including two years in a row. He said that he took part of their souls and that their egos can’t accept that. He said that Michaels was predicting HHH to win because he took the one thing from Michaels that was most important, his career.
299
300Michaels then pretty much said that everyone who loses retirement matches or announces retirements comes back, but he has stayed retired out of respect for the system and for the integrity of the stipulation, which came off like a knock on people like Ric Flair, Mick Foley and Terry Funk. It’s all situational. Foley expected to be retired for at least a year, maybe two, and come back at times. It was WWE who retired Flair, expected him to be part of the company, and expected to never book him in a match again. Perhaps because Flair came back, Michaels was more resolute that he wouldn’t, but when he did, the idea was it was real, going out on the biggest stage with a classic match against a legendary rival.
301
302Michaels noted that for nearly a decade (he lost a retirement match to Undertaker on March 28, 2010 at WrestleMania at Phoenix Stadium), he stuck to his retirement and turned down millions of dollars in the process. From a storyline standpoint, he said that was due to respect for Undertaker. It may be because he felt so strongly about his moment with Ric Flair, and it wasn’t what it looked like it was, and I think he didn’t want to be Ric Flair (even though the two are friends). Or it could be a number of things.
303
304Undertaker came back, with “respect or fear,” saying that if Michaels was to come out of retirement, Undertaker said he was the only person Michaels could come for.
305
306“And I’ll put you down again. You know it. I know it. They know it. In Melbourne, I’ll put your buddy down again.”
307
308When it was over, this did not come off like a promotion of Undertaker vs. HHH, but that Undertaker vs. HHH was a step in a greater direction, of Undertaker vs. Michaels. Michaels had already said he would be in Melbourne at ringside for the match on 10/6, and if they are going in that direction, an angle there would make sense.
309
310The working idea internally right now is that Michaels is coming out of retirement. Right now it is not for a singles match, and it is targeted, if not scheduled, for Saudi Arabia on 11/2.
311
312Generally speaking, the rule of thumb is Vince McMahon hates to build something up that he isn’t going to deliver, and when this overshadowed the match he was promoting for Australia, it would indicate it’s more than just the usual Michaels returning speculation. Still, that did happen for Michaels vs. Daniel Bryan a few years ago, and even though Michaels made it clear to everyone that he wasn’t doing the match, most in the company didn’t believe it for that very reason, Vince’s rule of not wanting to get people excited about a match he’s not delivering. It’s the same reason he was furious at Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar for doing promos that got too legit for a match that had no chance of happening. Still, Michaels vs. Bryan never happened and Michaels made it clear at the time he wasn’t going to wrestle again.
313
314People are thinking WrestleMania, and that’s always possible. But WWE did make a solid push for Michaels to work on the last show in Saudi Arabia, and those shows are bigger shows financially than WrestleMania. Given that the Prince’s fandom of WWE goes back mostly to the 90s, and wanting Yokozuna, Undertaker, the guy with the cowboy hat (Jim Ross), the guy with the crown (Jerry Lawler) and Ultimate Warrior on the first show, Michaels vs. Undertaker, the 90s version and not the Mania version, would be from his generation.
315
316The updated lineup for the 10/6 show is, besides Undertaker vs. HHH in what is being billed as their last-ever match, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE title, John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias, Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz with the winner becoming the top contender for the WWE title, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs. Braun Strowman & Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre, Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan, Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy for the cruiserweight title (Murphy should be the big favorite since he’s from Australia), New Day vs. Sheamus & Cesaro for the Smackdown tag titles, Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch for the Smackdown women’s title and Billie Kay & Peyton Royce (who will be the big favorites in Australia) vs. Asuka & Naomi.
317
318WWE announced a second season of Mixed Match Challenge, but more elaborate than the first season.
319
320The season will run from 9/18 to 12/11 on Tuesday nights, with the championship match on the 12/16 TLC PPV show in San Jose.
321
322The Tuesday shows will now each have two matches, and increase from 20 minutes to 30 minutes. This means that 205 Live will start airing at about 10:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and likely be cut back on time.
323
324Unlike the first season, which only aired in the U.S. on Facebook Watch, this year’s show will be streamed by Facebook also in Germany, Mexico, Australia, France, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam.
325
326It won’t be a single elimination tournament. They’ve said it would be a round-robin, which would be like G-1.
327
328It looks like it’ll be broken down with a Raw and a Smackdown division, where each team will have four matches within the division. That would take up ten weeks of programming. So there are still four weeks for playoffs or something.
329
330The Raw teams are Braun Strowman & Alexa Bliss, Bobby Lashley & Sasha Banks, Finn Balor & Bayley, Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox and Kevin Owens & Natalya.
331
332The Smackdown teams are first season champions Miz & Asuka, Jimmy Uso & Naomi, Rusev & Lana, A.J. Styles & Charlotte Flair and R-Truth & Carmella.
333
334Naomichi Marufuji won the main event on his 20th anniversary show on 9/1 at Tokyo Sumo Hall, beating WWE’s Hideo Itami, before a more than healthy crowd of 6,235 fans.
335
336The show included wrestlers from other groups including Jun Akiyama & Atsushi Aoki from All Japan, Sanshiro Takagi & Harashima & Danshoku Dino from DDT and even Taiyo Kea returned.
337
3381. Mohammed Yone & Junta Miyawaki beat Mitsuo Momota & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi in 4:45 when Yone pinned Momota after a muscle buster. Momota is a few weeks shy of his 70th birthday.
339
3402. Shiro Koshinaka & Tamon Honda & Naoki Sano beat Akitoshi Saito & Masao Inoue & Kishin Kawabata in a battle of names from the past. The match went 5:34 ending when Koshinaka did the hip attack on Inoue.
341
3423. Takao Omori & Cody Hall beat Quiet Storm & Tadasuke in 5:56 when Omori pinned Tadasuke with the axe bomber.
343
3444. Shuji Kondo & Jiro Kuroshio from Wrestle-1 beat Hayata & Yo-Hey in 9:50 when Kondo pinned Yo-Hey with a lariat.
345
3465. Minoru Tanaka & Kotaro Suzuki & Hi69 beat Hajime Ohara & Hitoshi Kumano & Seiya Morohashi in 8:59 when Suzuki pinned Kumano.
347
3486, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Taiyo Kea & Masa Kitamiya beat Go Shiozaki & Kaito Kiyomiya & Kazma Sakamoto in 11:33 when Kitamiya pinned Sakamoto with a Saito suplex
349
3507. Sanshiro Takagi & Harashima & Danshoku Dino from DDT beat Kenou& Maybach Taniguchi & Atsushi Kotoge in 15:51 when Harashima pinned Kotoge.
351
3528. Takashi Sugiura & Daisuke Harada wrestled Jun Akiyama & Atsushi Aoki to a 30:00 draw.
353
3549. Naomichi Marufuji pinned Hideo Itami in 34:12 with the emerald flowsien.
355
356Just a quick note. I didn’t expect an issue this week, but here it is. The problem was only having three full days home this week and historically it takes a minimum four, better five and usually seven to complete an issue.
357
358Next week the schedule is worse, but there is no deadline on the other end, so there will be an issue, but it will likely be two days late. After this coming week, there shouldn’t be any issues with being on time for the foreseeable future.
359
360Raw on 9/3, the Labor Day show, did 2,866,000 viewers, which has to be considered good given the holiday night, even though overall television competition was easier. The audience was up one percent from last week.
361
362It was down in the first two hours, but slightly beat last week because it held its audience better in hour three.
363
364Raw was third for the night on cable, as all the major news shows did repeats, so it only lost to college football related programming on ESPN. The Virginia State vs. Florida State game head-to-head with Raw did 5,576,000 viewers. Raw also beat FOX and CW proramming, a third hour repeat show no NBC and beat CBS in hour two which aired Salvation.
365
366The first hour did 2,945,000 viewers. The second hour did 2,933,000 viewers. The third hour did 2,740,000 viewers.
367
368In the third hour, women 18-49 dropped eight percent from the second hour, while men 18-49 were up one percent. Girls 12-17 dropped 24 percent in hour three while boys 12-17 dropped three percent.
369
370The show did a 0.65 in 12-17 (up 4.8 percent from last week), 0.79 in 18-34 (up 6.8 percent), 1.15 in 35-49 (down 4.2 percent) and 1.13 in 50+ (down 1.7 percent).
371
372The show did 66.2 percent males in 18-49 and 58.6 percent male in 12-17.
373
374The pushed special edition of Impact on 8/30 called Redefined with a Brian Cage vs. Fenix match that people were giving strong reviews to did 225,000 viewers, which was up from 212,000 the week before but still well below what they’d been doing most of the year. There was also only college football as opposition.
375
376The first episode of the new season of Ultimate Fighter on 8/29 did only 186,000 viewers, which has to be the lowest season opener to date.
377
378Lucha Underground on 8/29 did 83,000 viewers, down from 94,000 the week before.
379
380This is the first issue of the current set. If you’ve got a (1) on your address label it means your subscription expires in two more weeks.
381
382Renewal rates for the printed Observer in the United States are $12 for four issues (which includes $4 for postage and handling), $22 for eight, $31 for 12, $40 for 16, $60 for 24, $80 for 32, $100 for 40, $130 for 52 up through $160 for 64 issues.
383
384For Canada and Mexico, the rates are $13.50 for four issues (which includes $6 for postage and handling), $24 for eight, $34 for 12, $44 for 16, $66 or 24, $88 for 32, $110 for 40 issues, $143 for 52 and $176 for 64.
385
386For Europe, you can get the fastest delivery and best rates by sending to Moonsault, P.O. Box 3075, Barnet, Herts EN4 9YR, England, or by sending e-mail orders to moonsault@mediaplusint.com. Rates are £9 per set of four issues. U.K. readers ordering at least six sets can get them for £8.50 per set.
387
388For the rest of the world, the rates are $15.50 for four issues (which includes $9 for postage and handling), $30 for eight, $43 for 12, $56 for 16, $70 for 20, $84 for 24, $98 for 28, $140 for 40 issues and $182 for 52 issues.
389
390You can also get the Observer on the web at www.wrestlingobserver.com for $10.99 per month for a premium membership that includes daily audio updates, Figure Four Weekly, special articles and a message board. If you are a premium member and still want hard copies of the Observer, you can get them for $8 per set in the U.S., $9 per set in Canada and $11.50 per set for the rest of the world.
391
392All subscription renewals should be sent to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228. You can also renew via Visa or MasterCard by sending your name, address, phone number, Visa or MasterCard number (and include the three or four digit security code on the card) and expiration date to Dave@wrestlingobserver.com or by fax to (408)244-3402. You can also renew at www.paypal.com using dave@wrestlingobserver.com as the pay to address. For all credit card or paypal orders, please add a $1 processing fee. If there are any subscription problems, you can contact us and we will attempt to rectify them immediately, but please include with your name a full address as well a phone number you can be contacted at.
393
394All letters to the editor, reports from live shows and any other correspondence pertaining to this publication should also be sent to the above address.
395
396This publication is copyright material and no portion of the Observer may be reprinted without the expressed consent of publisher/writer Dave Meltzer. The Observer is also produced by Derek Sabato.
397
398Fax messages can be sent to the Observer 24 hours a day at (408) 244-3402. Phone messages can be left 24 hours a day at (408) 244-2455. E-mails can be sent to Dave@wrestlingobserver.com
399
400RESULTS
401
402 
403
4048/21 Brooklyn Barclays Center (WWE Smackdown/205 Live TV tapings -9,500): Asuka b Mandy Rose, Randy Orton b Jeff Hardy-DQ, Peyton Royce b Naomi, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, Tag titles no DQ: Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods b Luke Harper & Erick Rowan to win titles, Noam Dar b TJP, Tornado match: Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado b Buddy Murphy & Tony Nese, Daniel Bryan b Samoa Joe-DQ
405
4068/21 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Masters Pro Wrestling - 1,382): Yoshiaki Fujiwara b Ishinriki, Great Sasuke & Sato & Kendo b Nosawa & Mazada & Fujita, Great Kojika & Kim Duk b Colin Gasper & Gully Gasper, Tatsumi Fujinami & Jushin Liger & Takuma Sano b Wild Samoan Samu & Hisakatsu Oya & Black Tiger V, Hiroshi Hase & Taiyo Kea & Jinsei Shinzaki & Shinjiro Otani b Shiro Koshinaka & Masashi Aoyagi & Akitoshi Saito & AKIRA
407
4088/21 Osaka (All Japan - 236 sellout): Takao Omori & Black Menso-re & Shoichi Uchida b Tajiri & Gianni Valletta & Katsumi Orible, Masaaki Mochizuki & Shun Skywalker b Atsushi Maruyama & Masashi Takeda, Joe Doering b Yuma Aoyagi, Jake Lee & Ryoji Sai & Koji Iwamoto b Shuji Ishikawa & Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato, Suwama b Dylan James, Zeus & The Bodyguard & Jun Akiyama b Kento Miyahara & Yoshitatsu & Naoya Nomura
409
4108/21 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Bengala & Leono b Apocalipsis & Principe Odin Jr., Espanto Jr. & El Hijo del Signo & Metalico b Astral & Electrico & Star Jr., Amapola b Jarochita, Dragon Rojo Jr. & Okumura & Polvora b Blue Panther & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Rey Cometa, Stuka Jr. & Titan & Valiente b Ephesto & Luciferno & Mephisto, Atlantis & Mistico & Soberano Jr. b Cuatrero & Forastero & Sanson
411
4128/23 Winter Park, FL (WWE NXT TV tapings - 400 sellout): Dominick Dijakovic b Marcel Barthel, Dakota Kai b Aliyah, Keith Lee b Luke Menzies, Adam Cole & Roderick Strong b Ricochet & Pete Dunne, Kassius Ohno b Kona Reeves, Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake b Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins, Non-title: Kairi Sane b Trish Adora, Velveteen Dream b Johnny Gargano, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch b Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude, Shayna Baszler b Violet Rayne, Lars Sullivan b Raul Mendoza, Bianca Belair DCOR Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans & Aliyah b Dakota Kai & Deonna Purrazzo, Jaxson Ryker b Humberto Carillo, Title vs title: Pete Dunne NC Ricochet
413
4148/23 Kariya (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 125): Hitoshi Kumano b Junta Miyawaki, Hajime Ohara b Tadasuke, Hi69 & Minoru Tanaka & Yoshinari Ogawa b Daisuke Harada & Hayata & Yo-Hey, Hitoshi Kumano won Battle Royal, Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm b Go Shiozaki & Masao Inoue, Maybach Taniguchi & Cody Hall b Katsuhiko Nakajima & Atsushi Kotoge, Masa Kitamiya & Kenou & Kaito Kiyomiya b Takashi Sugiura & Akitoshi Saito & Naomichi Marufuji
415
4168/24 Bartow, FL (WWE NXT - 200): Marcel Barthel b Humberto Carillo, Bianca Belair & Lacey Evans b M.J. Jenkins & Jessie Elaban, Keith Lee b Dan Matha, Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch b Kassius Ohno & Dominik Dijakovic, Lars Sullivan b Kona Reeves, Wesley Blake & Jaxson Ryker b Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight, Nikki Cross b Aliyah, Adam Cole b Raul Mendoza
417
4188/24 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL - 9,000): Angelito & Ultimo Dragoncito b Mercurio & Pequeno Nitro, Audaz & Esfinge & Triton b Kawato San & Templario & Virus, Angel de Oro b Titan, Hechicero & Mephisto & Negro Casas b El Hijo de L.A. Park & Flyer & Soberano Jr., Ciber the Main Man & Scharly Rock Star & The Chris b L.A. Park & Gran Guerrero & Ultimo Guerrero, Cavernario & Bestia del Ring & Rush b Matt Taven & Caristico & Volador Jr.
419
4208/24 Tsuchima (Dragon Gate - 539): Don Fujii & Willie Mack b Naruki Doi & Jason Lee, Ryo Saito b Yasushi Kanda, Shingo Takagi & Eita b Dragon Kid & Gamma, Big R Shimizu & Takashi Yoshida b Masato Tanaka & Ben K, Yamato & BxB Hulk & Kagetora b Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka & Yasshi
421
4228/24 Miyagi (All Japan - 287): Jun Akiyama & Ryoji Sai & Gaina b Yoshitatsu & Tajiri & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi, Masaaki Mochizuki & Shun Skywalker b Black Menso-re & Black Tiger VII, Shuji Kondo & Kotaro Suzuki b Kaji Tomato & Shiori Asahi, Zeus & Joe Doering & Gianni Valletta & Aisawa #1 b Jake Lee & Dylan James & Koji Iwamoto & Keiichi Sato, Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato b Atsushi Maruyama & Masashi Takeda, Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa & Takao Omori b Kento Miyahara & Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi
423
4248/25 Halifax, NS (WWE Smackdown - 3,900 sellout): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, Shelton Benjamin b Tye Dillinger, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Becky Lynch & Carmella, Karl Anderson b Luke Harper, Three-way for U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura won over Jeff Hardy and The Miz, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
425
4268/25 Birmingham, UK (WWE NXT U.K. TV tapings): Killer Kelly b Charlie Morgan, Jordan Devlin b Sid Scala, Joseph Conners & Saxon Huxley b Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams, Tyler Bate b James Drake, Wolfgang b Ashton Smith, Dakota Kai b Nina Samuels, Tyson T-Bone b Jake Constantino, Dave Mastiff b Dan Moloney, Jinny b Millie McKenzie, Zack Gibson b Trent Seven, Rhea Ripley b Xia Brookside, Eddie Dennis b Jack Starz, Mark Andrews b Wild Boar, Toni Storm b Isla Dawn, Jordan Devlin b El Liger, Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate b Wolfgang & Mark Coffey
427
4288/25 Largo, FL (WWE NXT - 400): Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford b Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude, Brian Williams (Brennan Williams) b Tian Bing, Lay Lane (Lacey Lane) & Kacey Catanzaro b Taynari Conti & Reina Gonzalez, Dan Matha b Luke Menzies, Velveteen Dream b Babatunde Aiyegbusi, Otis Dozovic & Tucker Night b Wesley Blake & Jaxson Ryker, Raul Mendoza b Humberto Carillo, Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke & Shayna Baszler b Io Shirai & Kairi Sane & Deonna Purrazzo
429
4308/25 Philadelphia (ROH TV tapings - 1,000 sellout): Sumie Sakai b Tasha Steelz, Jonathan Gresham b Bully Ray-DQ, Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian Scorpio Sky b Mark & Jay Briscoe & Punishment Martinez, Chuckie T & Baretta b The Boys, Kenny King b Hangman Page, Brian Johnson NC Dante Calbero, Bully Ray & Silas Young b Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham, Tenille Dashwood & Jenny Rose & Stella Gray b Ashley Vox & Kris Stoutlander & Riley Shepard, Eli Isom won four-way over Shane Taylor, Flip Gordon and Chris Sabin, Shaheem Ali & LSG b Vinny Marseglia & TK O’Ryan, TV title: Punishment Martinez b Aaron Solow, Hurricane Helms b Marty Scurll, Fight Without Honor: Cheeseburger b Will Ferrara, Six-man titles: Young Bucks & Cody b Silas Young & Beer City Bruiser & Brian Milonas
431
4328/25 Nara (Dragon Gate - 881): Kzy & Genki Horiguchi b Shachihoko Boy & Willie Mack, Takashi Yoshida b Jason Lee, Susumu Yokosuka & Yasshi b Don Fuji & Kagetora, Yamato & BxB Hulk b Ryo Saito & Gamma, Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshio & Ben K & Dragon Kid b Big R Shimizu & Shingo Takagi & Eita & Yasushi Kanda
433
4348/25 Miyagi (All Japan - 370 sellout): Jun Akiyama & Ultimo Dragon & Black Menso-re & Black Tiger VII b Takao Omori & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi & Gianni Valletta & Aizawa #1, Kento Miyahara & Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi b Jake Lee & Ryoji Sai & Dylan James, Suwama & Shuji Ishikawa b Zeus & Joe Doering, Kaji Tomato & Shiori Asahi b Masaaki Mochizuki & Shun Skywalker, Atsushi Maruyama & Masashi Takeda b Shuji Kondo & Kotaro Suzuki, Koji Iwamoto & Tajiri b Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato
435
4368/26 Rochester, NY (WWE Raw - 3,750): Sasha Banks & Bayley b Alexa Bliss & Alicia Fox, Finn Balor b Baron Corbin, No DQ: Baron Corbin b Finn Balor, Three-way for tag titles: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel won over Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt and Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, Akam b Tyler Breeze, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose b Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre, No Way Jose & Rhyno & Heath Slater & Zack Ryder b Mike Kanellis & Curt Hawkins & The Ascension, Bobby Roode b Jinder Mahal, Ember Moon & Nikki & Brie Bella b Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan, Universal title: Roman Reigns DCOR Braun Strowman
437
4388/26 Saint John, NB (WWE Smackdown - 3,000): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, Shelton Benjamin b Tye Dillinger, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Carmella & Becky Lynch, Karl Anderson b Luke Harper, Three-way for U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura won over Jeff Hardy and The Miz, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
439
4408/26 Birmingham, UK (WWE NXT U.K. TV tapings): Wild Boar & Tucker b Jack Starz & Jake Constantino, Rhea Ripley b Dakota Kai, Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster b Joseph Conners & Saxon Huxley, Dave Mastiff b Tyson T-Bone, Toni Storm b Jinny, Xia Brookside & Millie McKenzie b Killer Kelly & Charlie Morgan, Eddie Dennis b Ashton Smith, Joseph Conners b Saxon Huxley, U.K. title: Pete Dunne b Jordan Devlin, El Ligero b Dan Moloney, Tyler Bate b Joe Coffey, Zack Gibson & James Drake b Amir Jordan & Kenny Williams, U.K. women’s title tournament final: Rhea Ripley b Toni Storm to win title
441
4428/26 Nagareyama (All Japan - 1,310): Black Menso-re & Black Tiger VII b Kotaro Suzuki & Keiichi Sato, Masa Fuchi & Osamu Nishimura & Ultimo Dragon & Hikaru Sato b Kai & Tajiri & Atsushi Maruyama & Naoshi Sano, Suwama & Dylan James b Joe Doering & Gianni Valletta, Jun Akiyama & Yoshitatsu b Jake Lee & Ryoji Sai, Yuji Hino b Kento Miyahara, All-Asia tag titles: Naoya Nomura & Yuma Aoyagi b Takao Omori & Isami Kodaka, World jr. title: Koji Iwamoto b Atsushi Aoki, Triple Crown: Zeus b Shuji Ishikawa
443
4448/26 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Camorra & Inquisidor b Arkalis & Robin, La Guerrera & Marcela & Sanely b Amapola & Comandante & Metalica, Black Panther & Blue Panther & Blue Panther Jr. b Disturbio & Dragon Rojo Jr. & Okumura, Felino & Hechicero & Rey Bucanero b Diamante Azul & Kraneo & Soberano Jr., Atlantis & Matt Taven & Volador Jr. b Euforia & Mr. Niebla & Negro Casas
445
4468/26 Fukui (Dragon Gate - 541): Masaaki Mochizuki & Willie Mack & Shachihoko Boy b Don Fujii & Dragon Kid & Kota Minoura, Ryo Saito b Gamma, Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka b Naruki Doi & Jason Lee, Takashi Yoshida & Yasushi Kanda b Masato Yoshino & Ben K, Big R Shimizu & Shingo Takagi & Eita b BxB Hulk & Yamato & Kagetora
447
4488/26 Joetsu (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 266): Hajime Ohara & Hitoshi Kumano b Yo-Hey & Junta Miyawaki, Mohammed Yone b Masao Inoue, Maybach Taniguchi & Cody Hall b Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Kotoge, Atsushi Kotoge won Battle Royal, Hi69 & Minoru Tanaka & Yoshinari Ogawa b Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Hayata, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Masa Kitamiya & Kenou & Kaiyo Kiyomiya b Takashi Sugiura & Naomichi Marufuji & Akitoshi Saito & Quiet Storm
449
4508/27 Toronto (WWE Raw/Main Event TV tapings - 11,500): No Way Jose b Tyler Breeze, Ruby Riott b Ember Moon, Finn Balor b Baron Corbin-DQ, No DQ: Baron Corbin b Finn Balor, Sasha Banks b Dana Brooke, IC title: Seth Rollins b Kevin Owens, Non-title: Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder b Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel, Natalya b Alicia Fox, Handicap match: Bobby Lashley b The Ascension, Roman Reigns & Braun Strowman NC Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler
451
4528/27 Peterborough, ONT (WWE Smackdown - 3,000): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Shelton Benjamin b Tye Dillinger, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, Bobby Roode b Mojo Rawley, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Carmella & Becky Lynch, Karl Anderson b Luke Harper, Three-way for U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura won over Jeff Hardy and The Miz, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
453
4548/27 Kobe (Dragon Gate - 878 sellout): Problem Dragon b Hyo Watanabe, Masaaki Mochizuki & Gamma & Willie Mack b Kzy & Genki Horiguchi & Yasshi, Susumu Yokosuka b Yuki Yoshioka, Takashi Yoshida b Shun Skywalker, Don Fujii & Ryo Saito b Ben K & Jason Lee, Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi b Dragon Kid & Kaito Ishida, Shingo Takagi & Eita & Big R Shimizu & Yasushi Kanda b Yamato & BxB Hulk & Kagetora & U-T
455
4568/28 Toronto (WWE Smackdown/205 Live TV tapings - 9,500): R-Truth & Tye Dillinger b Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe, Sheamus & Cesaro won three-way over Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and Primo & Epico, Billie Kay b Naomi, Daniel Bryan b Andrade Cien Almas-Q, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella, Akira Tozawa b Brian Kendrick, Hideo Itami b Michael Blaise-
457
458DQ, Buddy Murphy b Kalisto, A.J. Styles & Jeff Hardy b Samoa Joe & Randy Orton
459
4608/28 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Bengala & Sonic b Inquisidor & Yago, Amapola & Metalica & Tiffany b Maligna & Mistique & Sanely, Black Panther & Blue Panther Jr. & Audaz b Kawato San & Okumura & Virus, Ephesto & Hechicero & Shocker b Kraneo & Soberano Jr. & Stuka Jr., CMLL welterweight title: Mephisto b Titan, Mr. Niebla & Negro Casas & Rey Bucanero b Atlantis & Mistico & Volador Jr.-DQ
461
4628/29 London, UK (WWE Raw - 12,000): Bobby Roode b Jinder Mahal, Bray Wyatt b Jinder Mahal, Sasha Banks & Bayley & Natalya b Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan, Cruiserweight title: Cedric Alexander b Drew Gulak, Three-way for tag titles: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel won over Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder and Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose b Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler, Finn Balor b Baron Corbin, No DQ: Baron Corbin b Finn Balor, Women’s title: Ronda Rousey b Alexa Bliss, Universal title: Roman Reigns b Braun Strowman-DQ
463
4648/29 Tokyo Shin-Kiba (All Japan - 220): Kotaro Suzuki b Keiichi Sato, Hikaru Sato b Kuishinbo Kamen, Hikaru Sato b Kuishinbo Kamen, Takao Omori b Black Menso-re, Koji Iwamoto & Atsushi Aoki b Shuji Kondo & Atsushi Maruyama, Naoya Nomura won Battle Royal
465
4668/30 Jacksonville, FL (WWE NXT- 350): Humberto Carrillo b Luke Menzies, War Raiders b Amanpreet Singh & Jason Cheng, Lacey Evans b Lacey Lane, Keith Lee b Kona Reeves, Lars Sullivan & Fabian Aichner b Marcel Barthel & Dan Matha, Velveteen Dream b Brennan Williams, Shayna Baszler & Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke b Dakota Kai & Nikki Cross & Io Shirai, North American title: Ricochet b Shane Thorne
467
4688/30 Chicago (AAW - 560 sellout): Tag titles: David Starr & Eddie Kingston b Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett to win titles, Paco b Stephen Wolf, DJZ won three-way over Laredo Kid and Myron Reed, Trevor Lee b Ace Romero, Curt Stallion & Jake Something b Dave & Jake Crist, Jimmy Jacobs & Brody King b Sami Callihan & Jessicka Havok, MJF b Colt Cabana, AAW title: ACH b Jeff Cobb, Penta 0M & Rey Fenix b Flamita & Bandido
469
4708/31 Osaka Edion Arena (WWE Raw - 3,693): Bobby Roode b Jinder Mahal, Bray Wyatt b Jinder Mahal, Three-way for cruiserweight title: Cedric Alexander won over Akira Tozawa and Drew Gulak, Natalya referee: Sasha Banks & Bayley & Kairi Sane b Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan, Three-way for tag titles: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel won over Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews and Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose b Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor b Baron Corbin, No DQ: Baron Corbin b Finn Balor, Women’s title: Ronda Rousey b Alexa Bliss, Universal title: Roman Reigns b Braun Strowman-DQ
471
4728/31 Fort Pierce, FL (WWE NXT - 450): Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch b Jason Cheng & Rocky, Keith Lee b Dominik Dijakovic, Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight b Cezar Bononi & Adrian Jaoude, Io Shirai b Aliyah, Adam Cole & Roderick Strong b Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford, Lio Rush DCOR Fabian Aichner, U.K. women’s title: Rhea Ripley b Kacy Catanzaro, NXT title: Tommaso Ciampa b Velveteen Dream
473
4748/31 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Takayamania - 1,500 sellout): Shinjiro Otani won Battle Royal, Takashi Sugiura & Meiko Satomura b Hikaru Sato & Chihiro Hashimoto, Jun Akiyama & Dick Togo b Takao Omori & Danshoku Dino, Naomichi Marufuji & Isami Kodaka b Takuma Sano & Takaku Fuke, Yuji Nagata & Ren Narita b Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Shota Umino, Shuji Ishikawa & Yuji Hino & Harashima b Suwama & Ryota Hama & Kazusada Higuchi, Minoru Suzuki & Nosawa & Mazada b Taiyo Kea & Taka Michinoku & Shuji Kondo
475
4768/31 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Akuma & Coyote b Arkalis & Robin, Amapola & Dalys & Reyna Isis b Jarochita & Lluvia & Marcela, Felino & Negro Casas & Tiger b Forastero & Cuatrero & Sanson, Ciber the Main Man & Scharly Rock Star & The Chris b Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Euforia, Matt Taven b Cavernario, L.A. Park & Volador Jr. & Diamante Azul b Tetsuya Naito & Bushi & Rush-DQ
477
4788/31 Las Vegas (Lucha Expo - 500): Oraculo & Serpentico b El Snowflake (Craig Williams) & Ultimo Panda (Vinny Massaro), Heather Monroe & Hurricane Helms & Mascarita Dorada b Johnny Mundo & Taya Valkyrie & Demus 3:16, Chris Adonis & Eddie Edwards & Ricky Banderas b Killer Kross & Marty the Moth Martinez & Moose, Rey Mysterio Jr. & Penta 0M & Rey Fenix b Super Crazy & Juventud Guerrera & Psicosis, Adrian Quest & Destino Negro & Douglas James & La Mascara b Black Danger & Black Taurus & Eli Everfly & Vapor, LAX b Tom Lawlor & Daga, Austin Theory won three-way over Rey Horus and Laredo Kid
479
4808/31 Tijuana, BC (AAA): Jimmy won four-way over Crazy Boy, Crazy King and Camuflaje, Chik Tormenta & Lady Apache b Lady Shani & Hiedra, Ciclon Ramirez Jr. & Golden Magic & Ultimo Maldito b Arkangel Divino & Genio del Aire & Mirage, Sammy Guevera won over Steve Pain and Xtreme Tiger, Jack Evans & Teddy Hart b Averno & Super Fly, Mr. Aguila & Damian 666 b Joe Lider & Pagano, El Hijo del Fantasma won four-way over Psycho Clown, Puma King and Electroshock
481
4828/31 Chicago (AAW - 575 sellout): Jake Something & Curt Stallion b Ace Romero & Colt Cabana, Shane Strickland b Darby Allin, Jessicka Havok b ?, Jake & Dave Crist b Ace Austin & Brian Cage, AR Fox & Myron Reed b Bandido & Flamita, MJF b Marko Stunt, Sami Callihan b Jimmy Jacobs, Tag titles: Eddie Kingston & Jeff Cobb b Mat Fitchett & Davey Vega, AAW title: Brody King b ACH to win title
483
4849/1 Shanghai, China (WWE Raw): Bobby Roode b Bray Wyatt, Three-way for tag titles: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel won over Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews and Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose b Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler, John Cena & Bobby Lashley & Finn Balor b Elias & Baron Corbin & Jinder Mahal, Cruiserweight title: Cedric Alexander b Drew Gulak, Ronda Rousey & Bayley & Sasha Banks & Natalya b Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan & Alexa Bliss, Universal title: Roman Reigns b Braun Strowman-DQ
485
4869/1 Cleveland (WWE Smackdown - 2,000): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Naomi b Sonya Deville, Usos b Eric Young & Alexander Wolfe, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Jeff Hardy, Daniel Bryan b The Miz, R-Truth b Shelton Benjamin, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Becky Lynch & Carmella, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
487
4889/1 Las Vegas (AAA - 650): Black Destiny b Black Danger, La Mascara won four-way over El Hijo de L.A. Park, Chik Tormenta and Super Crazy, Killer Kross & Juventud Guerrera won three-way over Brody King & Black Taurus and Pagano & Psicosis, Aerostar & Drago b Teddy Hart & Laredo Kid, El Hijo del Fantasma & El Texano Jr. b L.A. Park & Psycho Clown
489
4909/1 Nara, Okinawa (Dragon Gate - 392): Hyo Watanabe b Kota Minoura, Ben K & Jason Lee & Willie Mack b Kzy & Punch Tominaga & Problem Dragon, Yosuke Santa Maria & U-T b Masaaki Mochizuki & Don Fujii, Ryo Saito b Shun Skywalker, BxB Hulk & Gamma b Shingo Takagi & Yasushi Kanda, Yamato b Susumu Yokosuka, Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino & Dragon Kid b Big R Shimizu & Eita & Takashi Yoshida
491
4929/2 Kalamazoo, MI (WWE Smackdown - 5,000): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Naomi b Mandy Rose, Usos b Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Jeff Hardy, Daniel Bryan b The Miz, R-Truth b Shelton Benjamin, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Becky Lynch & Carmella, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
493
4949/2 Monterrey (AAA TV tapings): Draztick Boy won four-way over Arez, Belial and Ultimo Maldito, Faby Apache b Lady Shani, Carta Brava Jr & Mocho Cota Jr.& Tito Santana b El Hijo de L.A. Park & El Hijo del Vikingo & Joe Lider, Four-way for tag titles: Rey Escorpion & El Texano Jr won over Mamba & Maximo, Aerostar & Drago and Jack Evans & Teddy Hart, Jeff Jarrett & Killer Kross & Taurus b Dr. Wagner Jr. & La Parka & Murder Clown, El Hijo del Fantasma won three-way over Psycho Clown and L.A. Park
495
4969/2 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (Pro Wrestling NOAH - 1,026): Hitoshi Kumano Yoshiki Imamura, Atsushi Kotoge & Hajime Ohara & Kouki Iwasaki b Seiya Morohashi & Kazuhiro Tamura & Junta Miyawaki, Maybach Taniguchi & Mitsuya Nagai & Cody Hall & Kazma Sakamoto b Daisuke Harada & Tadasuke & Hayata & Yo-Hey, Go Shiozaki & Tamon Honda & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi b Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm & Masao Inoue, Kenou & Kaito Kiyomiya & Katsuhiko Nakajima b Naomichi Marufuji & Akitoshi Saito & Takuma Sano, Jr. Tag titles: Hi69 & Minor Tanaka b Ikuto Hidaka & Takuya Sugawara, GHC hwt title: Takashi Sugiura b Masa Kitamiya
497
4989/2 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Principe Diamante & Sangre Imperial b Cholo & Grako, Pegasso & Star Jr. & Stigma b El Hijo del Signo & Metalico & Nitro, Blue Panther Jr. & Audaz & Guerrero Maya Jr. b Disturbio & Misterioso Jr. & Universo 2000 Jr., Mephisto b Flyer, Blue Panther & Kraneo & Soberano Jr. b Ephesto & Felino & Hechicero, Caristico & Diamante Azul & Mistico b Cavernario & Euforia & Gran Guerrero
499
5009/2 Chicago Heights, IL (Warrior Wrestling - 945): DJZ b Pat Monix, Mia Yim & Santana Garrett b Chelsea Green & Britt Baker, Darby Allin b Jay Bradley, David Arquette & RJ City b James Ellsworth & Frank the Clown, Black Label Pro title: Jordynne Grace b Tessa Blanchard-DQ, Isaias Velazquez & Matt Knicks & Gringo Loco b Bryce Benjamin & Robert Anthony & Craven, Sam Adonis b Colt Cabana, Brian Cage & Rey Fenix & Penta 0M & Sammy Guevera b Rey Mysterio Jr. & Austin Aries & Jeff Cobb & Rich Swann,. Rey Fenix & Brian Cage b Sammy Guevera & Penta 0M, Warrior title match: Brian Cage b Rey Fenix to become first champion
501
5029/2 Nara, Okinawa (Dragon Gate - 410): Shingo Takagi & Takashi Yoshida & Yasushi Kanda b Ryo Saito & Don Fujii & Shun Skywalker, Masaaki Mochizuki b Yuki Yoshioka, Gamma & Churaumi Saver & Gurukun Mask & Futa Shimadou b Shachihoko Boy & Mil Hibiscus & Shuji Joe & Gosmaru, Willie Mack b Yosuke Santa Maria, Eita & Big R Shimizu b Ben K & Jason Lee, Masato Yoshino & Dragon Kid b Naruki Doi & Kaito Ishida, Yamato & BxB Hulk & Kagetora b Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka & Punch Tominaga
503
5049/3 Columbus, OH (WWE Raw/Main Event TV tapings - 9,000): Tyler Breeze b Mike Kanellis, Mojo Rawley b Zack Ryder, Nikki & Brie Bella b Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan, Chad Gable & Bobby Roode b The Ascension, Alexa Bliss b Natalya, Authors of Pain b Keith Thompson & Jimmy James, Sasha Banks & Bayley b Ember Moon & Dana Brooke, Braun Strowman b Finn Balor
505
5069/3 Saginaw, MI (WWE Smackdown - 1,500): Tag titles: Big E & Kofi Kingston b Sheamus & Cesaro, Naomi b Sonya Deville, Usos b Eric Young & Killian Dain, Rusev & Lana b Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega, U.S. title: Shinsuke Nakamura b Jeff Hardy, Daniel Bryan b The Miz, R-Truth b Shelton Benjamin, Women’s title: Charlotte Flair b Carmella-DQ, Charlotte Flair & Asuka b Carmella & Becky Lynch, WWE title: A.J. Styles b Samoa Joe
507
5089/4 Detroit (WWE Smackdown/205 Live TV tapings - 6,000): Rhyno b Mike Kanellis, Daniel Bryan b Andrade Cien Almas, Naomi b Peyton Royce, Rusev & Aiden English won three-way over Usos and Eric Young & Killian Dain, R-Truth b The Miz, Gran Metalik b Tony Nese, Noam Dar b Bryan Kelly, Non-title: Cedric Alexander b TJP, Three-way for women’s title: Charlotte Flair won over Carmella and Becky Lynch
509
5109/4 Mexico City Arena Mexico (CMLL): Sangre Imperial & Sonic b Apocalipsis & Camorra, Astral & Electrico & Star Jr. b Akuma & Espanto Jr. & Espiritu Negro, Lluvia & Marcela & Princesa Sugehit b Amapola & Comandante & Metalica, Tiger b Rey Cometa, Felino & Rey Bucanero & Shocker b Angel de Oro & Guerrero Maya Jr. & Niebla Roja, Diamante Azul & Valiente & Volador Jr. b Cavernario & Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero
511
5129/5 Nagoya (New Japan - 1,368 sellout): Ren Narita & Yota Tsuji b Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura, Yujiro Takahashi b Ayato Yoshida, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa & Taiji Ishimori b Juice Robinson & Michael Elgin & David Finlay & Toa Henare, Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi b Takashi Iizuka & Taichi, Tetsuya Naito & Evil & Seiya Sanada & Bushi b Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado & Taka Michinoku, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma b Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano & Gedo, Tomohiro Ishii & Baretta & Will Ospreay b Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi & Chase Owens
513
5149/5 London York Hall (Revolution Pro TV tapings - 400): Jushin Liger b Chris Brookes, Great O-Kharn b Harrison Thompson, Zack Sabre Jr. b Kushida, Colt Cabana b Greg Burridge, Sho & Yoh b James Castle & Dan Head, Chris Brookes b El Phantasmo, Aussie Open b Team White Wolf, Rocky Romero NC Chris Ridgeway, Dan Magee NC Sha Samuels, British cruiserweight title: David Starr b Kurtis Chapman, Hunter Brothers b Arrow of Hungary, Great O-Kharn b OJMO, Josh Bodom b MK McKinney, James Mason b Darrell Allen, El Phantasmo b Jonathan Gresham-DQ
515
516CMLL: The 8/31 Arena Mexico show was built around the main event appearance of Los Ingobernables de Japon. Tetsuya Naito & Rush (subbing for Evil who had a knee injury from G-1 and was in the corner) & Bushi lost via DQ to L.A. Park & Volador Jr. & Diamante Azul in the main event when Evil interfered to break up a pin attempt. They kept Park away from Rush in this match, with Park mostly working with Bushi, because the last thing they want this week is people wanting Park vs. Rush and they wouldn’t have even put them in the same match except with Evil hurt, Rush is the only guy left on the roster who could be part of Los Ingobernables, so they had to make due. In what I was told was a great match, Matt Taven won 2/3 falls from Cavernario with a low blow. Both Volador and Rush got involved in the match to set up their tag team double hair match on 9/14. In a non-title match, Ciber the Main Man & Scharly Rock Star & The Chris beat CMLL trios champs Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Euforia in two straight falls. The champs were DQ’d in the first fall for taking Chris’ cane and hitting the challengers with it. In the second fall, Ciber pinned Ultimo. Felino & Negro Casas & Tiger beat Sanson & Forastero & Cuatrero in 2/3 falls
517
518The 9/7 show, the last one before the Anniversary show, has Caristico & Taven & Volador Jr. facing Cavernario & Rush & Bestia del Ring in the final build for the anniversary show, Gilbert El Boricua (Ricky Banderas/Mil Muertes/ Mesias) is the big debut teaming with Negro Casas & Mephisto vs. Park & Atlantis & Mistico and Titan & Triton & Esfinge vs. Dragon Rojo Jr. & Hechicero & Templario
519
520Titan will be out of action for one month with a broken hand
521
522Caristico and Rush seem to be building for a singles match in Guadalajara
523
524They had a family tag team tournament on 9/3 in Puebla. In the semifinals, Ultimo & Gran Guerrero beat Volador Jr. & Flyer, and Mistico & Rush beat Cuatrero & Sanson. Los Guerreros won the final via DQ over Mistico & Rush.
525
526AAA: The TripleMania show airing from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Televisa did 1.25 million viewers on 8/25 live. They aired the last three matches from the show, the Lady Shani hair vs. mask win over Faby Apache, Fenix winning the heavyweight title in a four-way over Brian Cage, Rich Swann and Jeff Jarrett, and the Pentagon Jr. vs. El Hijo del Fantasma vs. Psycho Clown vs. L.A. Park mask match. Last year’s show did 12.3 million for the Psycho Clown vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. mask vs. mask match as the only bout aired. And no, the decimal point isn’t messed up. It shows the value of following McGregor vs. Mayweather last year. Still, given it was out of prime time, the number was considered good
527
528They taped TV on 9/2 in Monterrey and it seemed like it was based on giving people wins back from last week’s TripleMania. The main event saw El Hijo del Fantasma, without his mask, win a three-way over Psycho Clown and L.A. Park, since Pentagon Jr. was in Chicago. Fantasma pinned Park. Faby Apache, now bald, beat Lady Shani to get her win back. In another match, Jeff Jarrett (I think Karen was with her, or at least she was going with him as of the day before) & Killer Kross & Taurus beat Dr. Wagner Jr. & La Parka & Murder Clown in a no DQ match. Wagner, who was wearing a Parka costume, bled, as did Jarrett. Taurus replaced the advertised Cage, who was wrestling in Chicago. Jarrett pinned Wagner with a low blow. Rey Escorpion & El Texano Jr. retained the tag titles over Mamba & Maximo, Aerostar & Drago and Jack Evans & Teddy Hart. They made it clear that Bandido & Flamita, who won at TripleMania, are in line for a tag title shot. Carta Brava Jr. & Mocho Cota Jr. & Tito Santana beat El Hijo de L.A. Park & El Hijo del Vikingo (moved up became Laredo Kid’s brother died this past week and he asked out of the show) & Joe Lider.
529
530ALL JAPAN: A correction from last week where we wrote that Koji Iwamoto retained the All Japan jr. title against Atsushi Aoki on the 8/26 show. That was actually Iwamoto winning the title.
531
532PRO WRESTLING NOAH: The Global jr. tournament open on 9/8 in Shimizu. The A block has Hajime Ohara, Daisuke Harada, Tadasuke, Seiya Morohashi, Hitoshi Kumano and Kotaro Suzuki. The B block has Ikuto Hidaka, Hayata, Minoru Tanaka, Yo-Hey, Hi69 and Junta Miyawaki. The finals are 10/4 at Korakuen Hall. The headline match on that show is Takashi Sugiura defending the GHC title against Katsuhiko Nakajima
533
534The big show of the past week was 9/2 at Korakuen Hall with 1,026 fans. Takashi Sugiura retained the GHC title over Masa Kitamiya in 31:08 using a guillotine. Minoru Tanaka & Hi69 retained the GHC jr. tag titles over Takuya Sugawara & Ikuto Hidaka in 17:50
535
536Naomichi Marufuji & Akitoshi Saito defend the GHC tag titles against Kenou & Kaito Kiyomiya on 9/9 in Osaka.
537
538NEW JAPAN: Tickets for Wrestle Kingdom go on sale to New Japan Fan Club members on 9/10. An interesting note is that they are putting more tickets on sale, standing room tickets in the upper deck because with whatever they have planned and their business increases this year, they expect to have the first Tokyo Dome real sellout in 17 years. The main event should be made clear, as it’s likely Kenny Omega, although he’s probably going to have two title defenses before it’s announced officially, against the winner of the 9/23 Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada match. Which takes place on 9/23 in Kobe
539
540The new tour opened on 9/5 in Nagoya before a sellout of 1,368 fans at the International Conference Hall. It was basic matches with Tomohiro Ishii focused on in the main event, teaming with Will Ospreay & Baretta to beat Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi & Chase Owens in 7:18 when Ishii pinned Owens with a brainbuster
541
542There are three shows this week on New Japan World
543
544The 9/7 Korakuen Hall show at 5:30 a.m. Eastern has Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens, Robinson & Michael Elgin & David Finlay & Ayato Yoshida (who looks to be getting regular dates here) vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tonga & Loa & Taiji Ishimori, Toa Henare vs. Baretta, Hirooki Goto & Gedo vs. Taichi & Taka Michinoku, Naito & Evil & Sanada & Bushi vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado, Tanahashi & Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Okada & Toru Yano & Yoshi-Hashi and Ishii & Ospreay vs. Omega & Ibushi
545
5469/8 at Korakuen Hall at 5:30 a.m. has Umino & Yuya Uemura vs. Narita & Yota Tsuji, Owens vs. Yoshida, Makabe & Elgin & Finlay & Henare vs. Fale & Tonga & Loa & Ishimori, Goto & Yoshi-Hashi vs Taichi & Kanemaru, Naito & Evil & Sanada & Bushi vs. Suzuki & Iizuka & Desperado & Michinoku, Ishii & Yano & Ospreay vs. Omega & Ibushi & Yujiro Takahashi and Tanahashi & Robinson vs. Okada & Baretta
547
5489/9 show in Togane at 3 a.m. Eastern features the return of Satoshi Kojima, teaming with Yuji Nagata & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Makabe & Honma & Robinson & Finlay, with that as the main event, plus Ishii & Yano & Baretta & Ospreay vs. Omega & Ibushi & Yujiro Takahashi & Owens
549
550Nakanishi will be appearing in an episode this season of the crime drama “Out and Out”
551
552OTHER JAPAN NOTES: Cancer claimed yet another victim in pro wrestling with the death of Ray, from brain cancer, on 8/30. She was 36. Ray was born in Hong Kong and wrestled on the Japanese women’s circuit from 2003 to early 2016 for a number of promotions as well as some appearances in 2012 and 2014 for Shimmer in the U.S. She wrestled under a mask using names like Caribbean Moon, Lin Byron, Passion Ray, Ray, Ray Misterico and Rei. In one of her last matches, the main event on her 12th anniversary show on 10/8, she teamed with Atsushi Onita & Hideki Hosaka in a barbed wire board match losing to Sabu & Nosawa & Arisa Nakajima. She also sang, played the piano and released music and performed musically at wrestling fan events. In 2015, she placed second in a bodybuilding contest in the women’s athlete division. She used her wrestling ability in 2012 to help arrest a man on a crowded train who was doing lewd things on the train and she grabbed the man and put him in a wrist lock and threw him out of the train and to the police. Ray received a concussion in a match in late 2015, and when getting an MRI, they discovered a brain tumor. On February 17, 2016, she got the diagnosis that the tumor was malignant, and it was inoperable because the cancer was attached to the nerves in the brain. The cancer was at stage 3. She underwent radiation treatment and claimed she would return to wrestle in 2017, but she was never able to do so
553
554Takayamania, a fund raising show for the medical bills for Yoshihiro Takayama, took place on 8/31 at Korakuen Hall before a sellout of 1,500 fans. Takayama is still mostly paralyzed from the neck down from injuries suffered from taking a sunset flip. He does have head movement and has learned to paint portraits by putting the brush in his mouth and paint from there. But stars from New Japan, K Dojo, DDT, All Japan, NOAH, Zero-One, Sendai Girls and other companies including wrestlers who went back to the UWFI days with Takayama, worked together on the show. Minoru Suzuki, who was Takayama’s tag team partner for years, was the face of the show and won the main event teaming with Nosawa & Mazada to beat Taiyo Kea & Taka Michinoku & Shuji Kondo with Suzuki using the Gotch piledriver on Michinoku
555
556The return to pro wrestling of Takeshi Morishima was announced for the Genesis promotion on 10/16. Morishima is headlining against Takashi Sugiura
557
558Wrestle-1 drew 1,866 fans to the Yokohama Bunka Gym on 9/2 headlined by Shotaro Ashino beating Manabu Soya to win the Wrestle-1 title using an ankle lock submission. Shuji Kondo & Koji Doi retained the tag titles beating T-Hawk & Lindaman, who have been based out of China
559
560The Freedom promotion headed by Jun Kasai presented a Kasai 20th anniversary Death match carnival 2018 show on 8/28 at Korakuen Hall before 1,654 fans selling the place out with Masashi Takeda retaining his title over Jun Kasai in 23:04
561
562Soma Takao & Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie won the vacant KO-D trios titles on 9/4 in Tokyo beating Kudo & Yukio Sakaguchi & Masahiro Takanishi.
563
564HERE AND THERE: There was an Expo Lucha convention over the weekend in Las Vegas. Like with Starrcast, there were a lot of people who flew in and spent a ton of money on merchandise. Masks were selling like hot cakes of the big stars. But this was a major financial loser. There was unhappiness that a lot of the wrestlers there didn’t promote the event on social media. It was noted to us how Penta promoted All In hard but not this convention. It was also noted that the modern stars like Psycho Clown had long lines but there was little interest in many of the legends like Pirata Morgan or Super Muneco. There were four shows, with the first one on 8/31 doing about 180 fans, the big show with Rey Mysterio Jr. & Penta 0M & Rey Fenix over Juventud Guerrera & Psicosis & Super Crazy did 500 fans, the 9/1 afternoon show did 350 fans and the 9/1 evening show headlined by L.A. Park & Psycho Clown vs. El Texano Jr. & El Hijo del Fantasma did 650 fans. Park refused to do his scheduled meet and greet. He and his son walked about over an argument with the promoters wanting to be paid extra and the promotion said they would never work with him again. Solomon Grundy, a star in the 80s and early 90s, made his first Lucha appearance in23 years. He had a gastric bypass surgery to lose weight and many of the wrestlers from his era didn’t recognize him due to the weight loss. Some were in tears seeing him and seeing how good he looked. Other legends included Tinieblas Jr.,Alushe, Fantasma (as in the father), Ultimo Dragon, Mano Negra, Cobarde, Fuerza Guerrera, Negro Navarro, Solar, Mesias, Mascarita Dorada, Angel Blanco Jr., Kendo as well as LAX from TNA, Rey Horus, Daga and others. Ortiz from LAX’s just had a son and right after he was born took the next flight out to fulfill his commitment. Others there included Chris Adonis (Masters), Moose, Austin Theory, Shane Helms, Eddie Edwards, John Morrison, Taya and Cheerleader Melissa among others. Cobarde, who is 71, jumped off the top rope to the floor. Konnan, Helms, Juventud Guerrera, Morrison and Taya did a stand-up routine telling funny stories about the business at the Nerd Lounge in Las Vegas. The first show was headlined by Ultimo Dragon winning the Northern California-based Pro Wrestling Revolution title from El Hijo de Trump. Jungle Boy, who is Luke Perry’s son, worked on that show. The 8/31 night show had a lot of names including LAX over Tom Lawlor & Daga as well as the main event with Mysterio
565
566Nate Kehner, who was a regular with Combat Zone Wrestling and Big Japan Pro Wrestling as Nate Hatred, passed away on 9/1 after an auto accident
567
568Bein Sports has dropped DirecTV so that’s another blow for the reach of MLW
569
570Tessa Blanchard, who has moved to Southern California and working as a trainer for the actresses being trained to be wrestlers for David McLane’s (the original head of GLOW which is now a hot thing because of the Netflix TV show) new WOW for AXS TV, will also be wrestling as the key star with the promotion. Blanchard vs. Santana Garrett will be the first title match at the first set of tapings for the AXS shows, which start airing in January. Garrett is the current champion. The first set of tapings are 10/10 and 10/11 in Los Angeles at the Belasco Theater. They are pushing that Blanchard has the chance to be WOW and Impact champion at the same time
571
572Bret Hart, who, aside from the funeral, had not talked publicly about Jim Neidhart, likely because of how hard he was taking it, finally released a statement saying, “I’m sorry for taking so long in making a statement about the recent passing of my longtime friend and companion, Jim `Anvil’ Neidhart. No less has ever dimmed the light in my heart as this one. I loved Jim as more than a brother. He was a one-of-a-kind character. The most beautiful thing about Jim was how on the longest days and in the most miserable times he could always make you laugh. He’ll always be the `Anvil,’ the big Rhino, the tank. He was the best friend I ever had and I owe him for everything good that ever came my way as a pro wrestler. Jim didn’t need me so much as I needed him. We had always been close friends from the first time we met in Stampede Wrestling. We never fought or argued about anything and we were always in agreement. Aside from being my loyal friend, tag team partner, and brother-in-law, I can say Jim helped me keep my sanity during our numerous dark and lonely times. He was such a hilarious friend. Thank you Jim for a lifetime of happy and great memories. Pro wrestling is a profession where trust and loyalty are everything. We were such a fun, fast, exciting and formidable combination, highlighting each other while always making our opponents. When it came to wrestling teams like Andre the Giant & Haku, The British Bulldogs, The Nasty Boys, Demolition and The Rockers, the Hart Foundation could work with any team and have the best match on the card. We were both always very proud of all of our accomplishments as The Hart Foundation, but we were always most proud of our friendship. Some day, but far enough away, I hope to have a joyous meeting with the many friends and loved ones gone before, and when I make that crossover, I pray God will lead me straight to the Anvil. Thank you Anvil, for I owe you everything.
573
574C.M. Punk did an autograph appearance as part of All In weekend, but was not at the show backstage or anywhere, nor at the convention where he’d have been a huge hit. At the convention, whenever his name was mentioned at shows (then our shows where I don’t recall his name being mentioned but our audience pretty clearly was different and wouldn’t have done it) we heard that people booed the name and chanted Colt Cabana, who was at the convention. Punk was at the Pro Wrestling Tees store and the line for his autographs at one point was six blocks long. Punk tweeted how thankful he was to spent time with fans and listened to some moving stories from some great people and thanked them for their smiles
575
576One thing I’d like to mention is just how nice and polite almost everyone we encountered were. It’s really something to hear a lot of the stories from our readers and listeners and them thanking us for in some ways helping them battle through hard times. Everyone at some point has hard times. It’s part of life. I just want you guys who read this, especially those who talked with us about things this past weekend, to know that this goes both ways, that when those hard times hit, in your own way, you guys are so great to get me through it, even when you don’t know about it, and the few times I have brought stuff up publicly like my mother’s stroke and my father’s death, which greatly changed my life, the support from you guys is something that I will never forget
577
578The Vice documentary on Bruiser Brody debuted over the weekend in Chicago. Unfortunately I had an interview scheduled for an undisclosed HBO Canada documentary and missed it. There will be six documentaries airing in early 2019 on Vice, Brody, Gino Hernandez, The Montreal Screw Job, The Von Erichs, Moolah and Chris Benoit I believe. The Hernandez piece will probably be amazing. People were raving to me about the Brody doc and hopefully I’ll get to see it soon
579
580When covering the Being the Elite episode where Matt Jackson and Flip Gordon did the spoof on Terry Funk and Dennis Stamp in “Beyond the Mat,” I wrote that the Funk vs. Bret Hart match was in 1996. It was actually in September 1997
581
582Lee Wang Pyo, who for decades was South Korea’s top pro wrestling star, passed away on 9/3 at the age of 64. His death was due to bladder cancer, which makes four in wrestling in two weeks to that disease. In 2013, he first contracted bladder cancer and there were reports he had beaten the disease. At the time he was 59 years old and was pushing in the media that he would be doing an MMA fight with Mike Tyson, which, of course, was ridiculous, and then said he had to cancel when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was the promoter and made himself the top stair of the Korean Wrestling Association which was later called the World Wrestling Association in the 80s and 90s. The WWA name was used because that was the world title belt name from California that was recognized also in Japan that Kim Il/Kintaro Oki, his mentor and the biggest star ever in South Korea, won on June 9, 1967, from Mark Lewin (the title change was recognized all over and Ill came to California to defend the title and lost it to Mike DiBiase, Ted’s stepfather, at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles). So he tried to portray it as the same title belt that Rikidozan, Fred Blassie, Oki, Toyonobori, The Destroyer and Bearcat Wright all held. His death got national news attention in South Korea, with the theme being that Lee’s life was always about trying to bring the popularity of pro wrestling back to the level it had in the country during the 60s and 70s heyday of Il, when it drew amazing television ratings for his biggest matches in the country as well as his title matches in Japan. Lee started in 1975, when pro wrestling was on fire on television. But pro wrestling declined in the 80s when Il got older and sports like baseball and football became more popular. Being like Il was Lee’s dream dating back to third grade, and he dreamed of being the new head-butt master (Il’s big move was the head-butt, and it was legit as when he was in shoot situations, he’d come after people with the head-butt. Il was noted for being a real shooter and a tough guy in the gym and real life, although he was also known for attempting to steal the NWA title from Lou Thesz by going after him with the head-butt, and it backfired as Thesz saw it coming and ended up knocking him out; Bruno Sammartino also noted going to Japan and having trouble with Oki). Lee was one of 100 people auditioning to be a wrestler in a class that Il would train in 1975, and one of four he picked. Il was a national hero and pro wrestling was the biggest sport in the country during that period. Practice was torture as Il trained the Koreans the way he was trained in Japan by Rikidozan. Over the years he brought in names like One Man Gang, Honky Tonk Man, Kurt Angle, Bob Sapp and others to put him over. His 2008 and 2009, he did matches with Sapp at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul
583
584AAW did shows on 8/30 and 8/31 prior to All In at the Logan Square Arena in Chicago, drawing sellouts of 560 and 575 respectively. The Logan Square Arena reminds me a lot of the Legion Hall in Reseda. It has the same kind of atmosphere but it’s not a place where, aside from this weekend, people fly into, although there are regulars that come from as far away as St. Louis. The first night saw David Starr & Eddie Kingston win the tag titles from Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett in the opener. DJZ earned himself a Heritage title shot the next night in winning a three-way over Myron Reed and Laredo Kid. Trevor Lee beat Ace Romero. Jake Something (a big powerlifter type) & Curt Stallion (the talker of the team) beat Dave & Jake Crist. Jimmy Jacobs & Brody King beat Sami Callihan & Jessicka Havok with a wild brawl around the ring. MJF, who is very good as a cocky heel when given mic time doing his “I’m better than any of you” routine, beat local favorite Colt Cabana. ACH beat Jeff Cobb to retain their title. The main event, said to be ****, saw Penta & Fenix beat Flamita & Bandido in a match filled with insane moves. So Penta & Fenix worked Chicago on Thursday, Las Vegas on Friday and back to Chicago on Saturday. The 8/31 show was more newsworthy due to the Callihan vs. Jacobs match. They did a brawl all over the building. The problem with that kind of a match in a building of this type is with the sight lines, it means a large percentage of the audience can’t see a lot of it. The crowd was super hot up to that point and while the two worked hard, it had less heat than anything. At one point Callihan was throwing chairs at Jacobs and one of the building owners was on the P.A. telling him to stop and that if he breaks a chair he’s paying for it. After the match, there was an incident as Callihan shoved more than one security guard, which he said he thought were trainees. One of the security guards made a motion for his gun, basically showing he had one to calm him down but he never actually took the gun out. Callihan ended up being ordered to leave the building after the match and everything was since taken care of. Before that, Shane Strickland beat Darby Allin in a great match. A.R. Fox & Myron Reed beat Bandido & Flamita. The match started a little sloppy, but it turned into an incredible match with the crowd going nuts for so many spectacular moves. The last eight minutes had the feel of a high-end PWG match. I’d go **** for it and was told it was the best match of either night. Kingston & Cobb (they used Freebird rules to defend and Kingston & Cobb & Starr are all from the same stable), managed by Trevor Lee, retained over Vega & Fitchett, managed by Impact’s Scarlett Bordeaux. Bordeaux and Lee were great at ringside and they did a spot where it looked like Lee was going after her, and she turned his move into a Canadian Destroyer. The pop was enormous and Lee’s selling of the move was tremendous. Brody King beat ACH to win the AAW title in 22:45. The match was good, but not great. King got a concussion early in the match, although it wasn’t noticeable during the match. After the match, he couldn’t remember a thing about the match. He still worked the next night in Las Vegas
585
586The other big show over the weekend in Chicago was the 9/2 Warrior Wrestling show in Chicago Heights, IL, which raised $12,300 for the scholarships for students at the Marian Catholic High School. The show drew 945 fans. There was a match where Jordynne Grace beat Tessa Blanchard via DQ for Grace’s Black Label Pro title, which is an Illinois indie group. Blanchard hit the ref and they had a post-match pull-apart, likely building a rematch. The main event was a War of Attrition match to crown the first Warrior champion. It started as an eight-man tag where Brian Cage & Rey Fenix & Penta 0M & Sammy Guevera beat Rey Mysterio Jr. & Austin Aries & Jeff Cobb & Rich Swann when Guevara pinned Swann. So the losers were all eliminated. Then Guevera, since he won, got to pick his partner among the three winners and he picked Penta. But Cage & Fenix beat Penta & Guevera to advance when Fenix pinned Penta after a Canadian Destroyer. This left Cage vs. Fenix, which Cage won clean after the drill claw to become the first champion. Sam Adonis pinned hometown star Cabana in the semi. A celebrity match saw David Arquette team with R.J. City to beat James Ellsworth & Frank the Clown when Arquette pinned Ellsworth with a diamond cutter. Frank the Clown is the boyfriend, or at least is as far as I know, or Noelle Foley, Mick’s daughter, and they’ve been together at WrestleMania week every at least the last four years. I believe this was his first match
587
588World Class Revolution ran a show on 9/1 in Denton, TX, the former home of the Von Erich family, in conjunction with the University of North Texas vs. SMU football game. Part of the deal is that both Kevin and David Von Erich attended the University of North Texas, although both left as teenagers to become pro wrestlers. Fritz Von Erich attended SMU. They used Ross & Marshall Von Erich & Iceman King Parsons (one of the top stars of the glory days of Texas wrestling in the 80s), managed by Lacey Von Erich, beating the tag team champions of Tatanka & Kid Kash & Kyote, who are called the Arrow Club. World Class tries to throwback to the days of World Class Wrestling using celebrities and other tie-ins. About 2,500 fans watched the show. Jack Swagger was there managed by wife Catalina losing to Lance Hoyt (Archer). Miranda Gordy, the daughter of Terry Gordy was a manager. There was an Arabian heel group called Devastation Reborn as a takeoff on Skandor Akbar’s old Devastation Inc. heel stable
589
590Milena Roucka, 38, who was Rosa Mendes in WWE for several years, underwent surgery on 9/4 for a torn ACL and torn meniscus. She has been training in Maryland for more pro wrestling.
591
592EUROPE: World of Sport had what would sound like promising news regarding a renewal, but bad news as well this past week. The company announced nine house shows early next year. They announced on TV that they were doing a house show tour and then directed viewers to go to their web site for more details. That’s good news because announcing these shows would indicate they aren’t closing up shop after the ten-week first season run. Right now everyone is proceeding with the idea of doing a second season. The idea they would with the ratings the show has drawn indicates that somebody in a decision-making power is bound and determined to make it work, but ultimately in the television business, ratings are the decision makers. This was the first indication in that direction. This is not official but talent believes these dates are not new TV tapings and have not been announced as such, and if they were, it would sell more tickets. The belief is that if they are taping a second season, it would be at the same studios they taped the first season in. Logic would say they’d want a show that would be on the air in January to promote the tour off. The dates announced at 1/18 in Southampton at the O2 Guildhall, 1/19 in Newport Wales at the Newport Centre, 1/20 in Bornemouth at the International Centre, 1/25 in Stoke at Victoria Hall, 1/26 in Blackpool at the Tower Ballroom, 1/27 in Aberdeen, Scotland at the AECC, 2/1 in Scarborough at the Spa Grand Hall, 2/2 in Northampton at Derngate and 2/3 in London at York Hall. Most of these buildings are 1,000 to 2,000 seats, with the biggest being 4,500. Perhaps ITV wanted to test the franchise as a touring crew and the potential there before making its decision. The whole live sports thing that has made WWE so valuable isn’t the case here with taped shows that are very much not DVR-proof. The bad news is that moved up to 4:30 p.m., a half hour earlier, the rating dropped to 400,000 viewers, down 43 percent from the 700,000 the week before at 5 p.m. The time shift was expected to hurt the number, but 30 minutes earlier can’t explain a drop that large. The low number coincided with what some thought was the best episode of the season so far. Rampage Brown retained the WOS championship beating Davey Boy Smith Jr. Smith had Brown up for the powerslam, and Brown eye raked him and ht a DDT and got the pin. After the match, Brown, C.J. Banks and Sha Samuels all cornered Smith. Justin Sysum made the save. This led to heel authority figure Stu Bennett ordering Sysum vs. Banks & Samuels in a handicap match later in the show. Joe Hendry beat Martin Kirby in a submission match. Kirby came out with his arm in a sling and had a note from his mother saying that he was injured while styling his hair, claiming he pulled a hamstring. Kirby is also bald. He also sad he had a bad case of sniffles so couldn’t wrestle. Hendry then attacked Kirby anyway and won with an ankle lock. Kip Sabian & Iestyn Rees became the first WOS tag champs beating Nathan Cruz & Adam Maxted in the tournament finals. After the match, Cruz turned on Maxted. Then they announced a Cruz vs. Maxted match with the loser having to leave the promotion for next week’s show. Yes, in the first match of the feud they are already doing loser leaves town. Sysum then beat Banks & Samuels In a handicap match. They also announced Crater against three guys in a handicap match, Liam Slater & Gabriel Kidd and Robbie X. They teased Grado vs. Kirby but that wasn’t announced but did say Grado had a surprise
593
594Revolution Pro did its first TV tapings for Free Sports on 9/5 in London at York Hall in front of more than 400 fans. They taped five one hour shows here and were to tape another five shows on 9/6. Many fans left because the show went so long. The shows are all three matches. Kevin Kelly was the announcer. Show one opened with Jushin Liger over Chris Brookes in a face vs. face match, at least at first. Brookes turned heel. Liger botched a Liger bomb that looked to be the finish, but Brookes kicked out and Liger followed with a brainbuster. Brookes shook Liger’s hand and then attacked him until El Phantasmo made the save. Great O’Kharn (Tomoyuki Oka) beat Harrison Thompson. Lord Gideon Gray managed O’Kharn. Thompson is a trainee. O’Kharn won with a choke slam. Dan Magee did an interview with Kelly. Sha Samuels attacked him and a big brawl broke out. TV main saw Zack Sabre Jr. over Kushida. Sabre won via submission in 20:00 in an awesome match that got a standing ovation. The second show opened with Colt Cabana over Greg Burridge. Mostly comedy with Cabana winning via pin. Cabana went to do an interview but his mic didn’t work. He tried again, but before doing it, told the crowd to cheer like he had just won the match. Cabana said that he was the first RevPro British champion and challenged Minoru Suzuki so he could get his belt back. Sho & Yoh beat James Castle & Dan Head with the 3-K. Brooks beat Phantasmo in the second week main event. Jonathan Gresham distracted Phantasmo to set up the win. The third show opened with Aussie Open over Team White Wolf. Crowd liked both teams. The match was said to be great, hard hitting and fast pacing with Aussie Open winning. Rocky Romero vs. Chris Ridgeway ended in a no contest. The crowd was dead for this. Sabre attacked and laid out both guys. Romero and Ridgeway then teamed up and beat on Sabre until he bailed out. Dan Magee no contest Sha Samuels. Both knocked down the ref and kept brawling. The fourth show opened with David Starr beating Kurtis Chapman to keep the British cruiserweight title. Good TV match. Lee & Jim Hunter beat The Arrows of Hungary, Icarus & Dunbar. The crowd was tired during this one. The main for this show was supposed to be Dan Magee vs. Michael Okye. Samuels attacked Magee. Gideon Gray said Okye needs an opponent and O-Kharn came out and beat hi with a face first suplex. Josh Bodom beat MC McKinnan. Bodom wore an All Japan hoodie. Fans started leaving here. Bodom worked hard as a heel but still got mostly cheered. Bodom with a DDT off the middle rope after a tombstone piledriver on the apron. James Mason pinned Darrell Allen with a roll-up. People didn’t care about these guys this late. Final main event was Gresham vs. Phantasmo. Phantasmo won via DQ for a low blow. Brookes and Gresham beat down Phantasmo after until Liger made the save. Liger & Phantasmo challenged them to a tag match but Brookes & Gresham left. Brookes & Gresham tried a sneak attack after, but Liger & Phantasmo made a comeback to end the tapings
595
596Melanie Gray won the vacant wXw women’s title that Toni Storm vacated when she couldn’t wrestle this weekend due to her spinal injury. They first announced Alpha Female Jazzy Gabert vs. Killer Kelly as the match for the vacant title. Gray then talked her way into the match by insulting Kelly, and then stayed out of the ring most of the match. Gabert had the match won but Gray then pinned Kelly to get the win in heel fashion
597
598WrestleZone Scotland had their annual big show of the year, Aberdeen Anarchy X, on 9/;1 at the Beach Ballroom before a sellout of 1,304 fans. They used mostly their local talent, bringing in Santino Marella and Chavo Guerrero Jr. Marella, who is pretty much retired after neck surgery, actually did a match where he teamed with Grado to beat Kid Fite & Krieger. The main event was a cage match where Damien beat Shawn Johnson to win their Undisputed title
599
600Matt Riddle vs. Mark Haskins has been announced for the biggest show in Progress history on 9/30 at SSE Wembley in London. WWE is allowing Riddle to work the date since he was a Progress regular and Atlas champion. Walter vs. Tyler Bate for the Progress title is the main event plus Paul Robinson vs. Jimmy Havoc.
601
602ROH: Mike Hogewood, who was the television announcer for ROH during its run on AXS TV, passed away on 9/5 at the age of 65. The cause of death is unknown. Hogewood was a longtime sportscaster in the Carolinas, who did every sport, was a sports anchor at various stations and once won an Emmy for the ACC Access show
603
604Nobody talked about this that night at all, but Adam Birch (Joey Mercury), was arrested on 8/31. PW Insider reported the arrest took place on Saturday morning, the day of the show, but one person saw the police at the Marriott when it happened and said it was Friday, and those organizing the show indicated they were aware of the problem on Friday and not Saturday. B.J. Whitmer fulfilled Birch’s duties at the show and we’re told he stepped in and did great. Police reports from the Schaumburg Police Department said that Birch was found by police asleep and unresponsive in his car at 6:58 a.m. outside of the Marriott Hotel, where a lot of the talent was booked. When they found out who he was, they sent his name into computer records and found he was wanted on an outstanding warrant in Florida, he was taken in and held of $2,500 bond. Birch was there to be one of the producers of the All In show, but wasn’t at the show. The police reportedly also searched his room and found prescription pill containers.
605
606UFC: Endeavor purchased the 10 percent of the company that Flash Entertainment owned this past week. The Arabian Press first broke the story which was confirmed to us. No purchase price was listed. Dana White had just been telling people that UFC, with its new ESPN television and streaming deal, was worth $7 billion. That number would be larger than WWE’s current market value, and WWE has the much stronger television deal of the two starting in late 2019, so right now WWE should be worth more than UFC. White was quoting that figure based on the agreed upon price, that would mean Flash, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, would have gotten $700 million off its 2010 purchase of ten percent at a price of between $150 million and $175 million, which is a nice profit. Even if it was sold at the same price as the $50 million per point purchase price that Endeavor (which is looking at going public) paid last year for the last 5.8 percent of the stock Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta had after selling majority interest in 2016, that would be $500 million. Flash CEO John Lickrish said, “After almost ten years, the time was right to exit that investment.” Endeavor had been wanting to purchase the 10 percent since 2016 when it purchased majority interest. I believe that the only minority partner left is Dana White. When Flash purchased the company, to come in as a silent partner, the belief was that UFC would regularly run shows in Abu Dhabi. But in its history it went there twice, a PPV in 2010 and a regular show in 2014
607
608Brock Lesnar has not signed for a fight with Daniel Cormier at this moment, but he is training right now with that in mind
609
610Sage Northcutt is now a free agent and has issued a challenge to face Logan Paul in either a boxing match or an MMA fight. Scary part is these are the kind of events that seem to draw the most money in 2018, and even more, that Northcutt would become more of a star for this type of event than he would be for anything he’d do short of winning a championship
611
612Donald Cerrone had a near death experience doing a cave dive. Cerrone is experienced at doing such things, dating back to high school . He went to Cozumel, Mexico, with some friends. One friend, who was Cerrone’s mentor on cave diving, something he’s done since high school, but was older. At some point, the other person went off on his own and ended up in trouble and started to panic. Cerrone said at that point, he had to decide to save his friend, who was all tied up in the line, kicking and spinning out of control, or save himself. He said that the first rule in that situation was to save yourself, but he broke that rule. His friends panicking about getting tied up caused a buildup of silt in the water, making it impossible for Cerrone to even find his friend at first, and his light was off and Cerrone didn’t know if he had any air or what condition he was in. Cerrone lost track of him. Then he said he was lost, and he’s panicking more than he’s other panicked in his life, hit his head on the ceiling. Then he panicked again and started thinking about kissing his wife and his kid and thinking he’s going to die. He tried again to find the man, panicked again, hit his head, and was losing air. Then he started thinking about running our of air and dying. His friend ended up making it out o his own, as did Cerrone, but he said he has had nightmares since
613
614The Clark Country District Attorney dropped all domestic violence charges against Nick Diaz from a May incident. Diaz was accused by a woman he had a relationship with on-and-off for years of grabbing her by the head and slamming her on the ground and choking her this past May in Las Vegas. The alleged victim claimed she had thrown a glass at him. The key was that the woman’s story changed and had inconsistencies, to the point that a Grand Jury, when given case evidence, refused to indict Diaz. The District Attorney’s office at first didn’t drop the charge, but on 8/30, made the decision to do so. Police came and saw the woman with severe injuries including a possible broken hip. She told police that Diaz had never been violent with her before, but changed due to starting to use cocaine. Ross Goodman, Diaz’s attorney, claimed that the version of events the victim gave the Grand Jury was different, a third version, from her previous versions and claimed that medical records showed no significant injuries. Goodman claimed the woman was looking for revenge after finding out Diaz was seeing other woman. At first she said that Diaz intentionally threw her into the corner of the pool, but later said he told her he was going to throw her into the pool but she hung on, and by doing so, fell onto the corner of the pool
615
616This week is a big show on 9/8 in Dallas with UFC 228. It starts with Fight Pass at 6 p.m. with Geoff Neal (9-2) vs. Frank Camacho (21-6), Roberto Sanchez (8-1) vs. Jarred Brooks (13-2), Irena Aldana (8-4) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-2), Alex White (12-4) vs. Jim Miller (28-12) and Craig White (14-8) vs. Diego Sanchez (27-11). For four fight prelims will be on FX rather than FS 1, with Darren Stewart (8-3) vs. Charles Byrd (10-4), Jimmie Rivera (21-2) vs. John Dodson (20-9), Aljamain Sterling (15-3) vs. Cody Stamann (12-1) and Carla Esparza (13-5) vs. Tatiana Suarez (6-0). The PPV has Abdul Razak Alhassan (9-1) vs. Niko Price (12-1), Jessica Andrade (18-6) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-2), Zabit Magomedsharipov (15-1) vs. Brandon Davis (9-4), Nicco Montano (4-2) defends the women’s flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko (15-3) and Tyron Woodley (18-3-1) defends the welterweight title against Darren Till (17-0-1). The show is deep when it comes to talent and meaningful matches, but probably won’t do a big PPV number because it doesn’t have the main events. Woodley vs. Till is a pick-em fight according to the oddsmakers, as some places have Till as a slight favorite and others have Woodley, but everyone has it close. Till has looked good in most of his recent fights, but there is plenty of deserved controversy of him getting a title shot after a fight that he got a decision over Stephen Thompson that most felt he lost. And even so, even if you consider it a deserved win, he shouldn’t get a title shot after missing weight by three pounds in that fight. So weight has become part of the narrative. UFC told Kamaru Usman to train to get ready, because if Till doesn’t make weight, he will be replaced by Usman. However, Woodley has said he’s not willing to defend his title against Usman. He also said that if Till doesn’t make weight, he won’t fight on the show. He said he’d fight Usman on a complete camp because his style is totally different from Till. But he wouldn’t fight him with no preparation time. Montano vs. Shevchenko may be the most one-sided odds for a fight in UFC history. Shevchenko is favored at odds ranging from -1100 to -1800. It would be the biggest title match upset in UFC history for Montano to retain. Andrade vs. Kowalkiewicz should decide the next opponent for Rose Namajunas for the women’s strawweight title. The prelims on FX are some of the strongest of the year. Esparza vs. Suarez matches a former champion against an undefeated fighter who would be in line for a title shot if she can beat Esparza. Sterling vs. Stamann is a strong bantamweight fight as is Dodson vs. Rivera. All four shouldn’t be far from a title shot with a win
617
618Kazushi Sakuraba’s Quintet promotion will debut in the U.S. on 10/5 in Las Vegas, the day before Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor. This will be a Fight Pass promotion. Quintet is a submission wrestling promotion modeled around the Survival Series matches that New Japan did in the 80s and 90s. You pick a lineup and the winner advances and the losing new puts in a new member after every loss. The series ends when one team has had all of its guys eliminated. However if you go to a draw, both men are eliminated so that eliminates the playing the clock for a draw. There will be four teams, so two first round matches and then the two winning teams meet in the finals. The four teams are Team Sakuraba, which will include Sakuraba, Josh Barnett, Marcos Souza and Roberto Souza, both Abu Dhabi champions; Team Alpha Male coached and led by Urijah Faber and BJJ coach Dustin Akbar; Team Polaris, which won the first tournament, which includes Craig Jones, Gregor Gracie, Dan Strauss and Marcin Held; and Team 10th Planet, who won the second tournament
619
620Curtis Blaydes was furious about Brock Lesnar walking in and getting a title shot. On Submission Radio, he said, “I still feel disrespected that Brock Lesnar gets to jump in out of the blue. He’s not even ranked. He’s not even officially on the roster and he gets to have a title fight scheduled and he hasn’t proven himself. So year, that’s what makes me feel disrespected.” When asked if he has a chance against Daniel Cormier, Blaydes said about Lesnar, “No. None whatsoever. I don’t even view Brock as a legitimate MMA fighter. He was juiced to the gills when he fought in the early to mid 2000s. So I don’t respect juice-heads.” Well, his time line was off since he didn’t start in UFC until 2008. He compared Lesnar getting a title shot to Will Smith playing for the Lakers. Well, if Will Smith had already led his team to the NBA title and was coming back at 41, yes
621
622Junior Dos Santos vs. Tai Tuivasa will headline the 12/1 show in Adelaide, Australia
623
624Edson Barboza vs. Dan Hooker, Bobby Green vs. Drakkar Klose, Jessica Rose-Clark vs. Andrea Lee and Gerald Meershcaert vs. Jack Hermansson are now scheduled for 12/15 in Milwaukee. Al Iaquinta vs. Kevin Lee looks to be the main event on that show
625
626Ricardo Ramos vs. Ricky Simon has been added to the 11/10 show in Denver
627
628Claudia Gadelha vs. Nina Ansaroff and Kyle Bochniak vs. Hakeem Dawodu has been added to the 12/8 show in Toronto
629
630Claudio Silva pulled out of his 9/15 match in Moscow with former M-1 Global middleweight champion Ramzan Emeev due to a lower back injury
631
632Paige VanZant has been cleared after surgery on her arm so she has agreed to return on 1/18, which will be the first UFC show on ESPN, to face Rachel Ostovich
633
634Michel Prazeres vs. Bartosz Fabinski has been added to the 11/17 show Buenos Aries.
635
636WWE: Bryan just signed his new contract so they’ve agreed on terms. As of 9/3 it was not official since WWE hadn’t signed it, but that’s a formality and it should be official very soon if not this week. It’s been pretty much a given now for several weeks that he wasn’t going anywhere for a number of reasons. But it was not an easy decision and he was lucky that whatever his decision was going to be, there was no wrong decision
637
638Dave Bautista, 49, when talking about a return, said to What Culture, “I have to say that it’s something I think about daily. I miss it daily. I love it. I have a passion for wrestling. I feel that at the core of me, that’s just who I am. I’m a physical performer and I miss it every day.” “I think, one, it would have to be the right time, and two, it would have to be the right opponent. That’s pretty much it. And it would have to make sense. I think the last time I went back was with really good intentions and I felt like I wasn’t delivered what I was promised, and that was just creatively. So that would be it. I’d have to have a strong say of what I did and who I worked with. It would have to make sense as far as time. Not only do I have to be free, but I also have to factor in there is a risk that I would be injured. If I got injured, I would need some time to rehabilitate myself. So I always kind of factor those things in.” Bautista also noted that he’s pushed for a Drax standalone film, but doesn’t think it’s going to happen. He just signed with CAA to represent him. CAA is the same group that negotiated the WWE’s two big television deals
639
640At the Smackdown show in Detroit at the Little Caesar’s Arena, they announced that the next show in the building, on 12/28, would be a Raw show. The Monday of that week is New Year’s Eve, so WWE has decided not to do a live show on New Year’s Eve and instead tape Raw ahead of time taping on a Friday night for Monday
641
642They did play up the Owens quitting the company this week at the house shows, as Owens didn’t appear. He had been advertised for months for the 9/1 show in Shanghai, China, against Cena, which later turned into a Cena & Lashley vs. Owens & Elias tag match. It ended up as Cena & Lashley & Balor over Elias & Corbin & Mahal, with the face team winning when Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on Elias and then used an old school marital arts movie backfist, not spinning, but a move out of the martial arts movies. Cena had promised to debut a new move as a finisher on the show. He’s probably done that move as part of his movie fight scene training. Cena has been in China filming the movie “Project X” with Jackie Chan. It was his first match since the Greatest Royal Rumble against HHH. He’s also scheduled on 10/6 in Melbourne for the big show there in a Cena & Lashley vs. Owens & Elias match. They hadn’t changed the advertising regarding the match but Owens is already back
643
644The 10/28 Evolution PPV show at this point has sold 7,000 tickets to the Nassau Coliseum. It will end up close to full as a full house is scaled at 10,900. Of those 7,000 tickets, about 2,400 went to ticket brokers and the price to get in is $41
645
646Toni Storm’s injury is a spinal injury. The belief is that it’s not serious as far as time off is concerned. She’s been given clearance I believe, and is official for both the 9/30 Progress show at Wembley and everything after that date, so the Storm vs. Io Shirai Mae Young Classic final on 10/28 at the Nassau Coliseum will go on as planned
647
648Lita vs. Mickie James was added to the 10/28 Evolution PPV show
649
650New WWE trainee Daniel Vidot, who was a Rugby League star in Australia, made news as on his last night in the country before flying this week to Orlando to start at the Performance Center, he proposed to his girlfriend, Danielle Glanville. He’s enough of a celebrity from Rugby League that there have been articles over the years on him considering going to WWE, and also on his girlfriend, a cabaret dancer on the Gold Coast. There had already been media stories on Glanville leaving her dancing job with the idea she would move to Florida and try to start a career as a singer. As she was in her final night performing at Dracula’s Cabaret, she was taking a bow on stage when Vidot came to the stage and got on one knee and proposed. She started crying and accepted and the crowd went wild. Vidot said doing that had been on his mind for a while, and said that he was so nervous he forgot what he had planned to say
651
652Velveteen Dream was scheduled to wrestle on Evolve shows this coming weekend. It was his idea because they are running Joppa, MD on 9/7 and he started his career in that city as he was trained at Maryland Championship Wrestling. He and Lio Rush started together and Rush was much better than he was and advanced quickly, but even though Rush is considered main roster and Dream is considered developmental, Dream has surpassed Rush as a star over the past year. Dream headlines the show against Austin Theory on a show that also has Joey Janela defending the WWN title against AR Fox. He also headlines the 9/8 show in Queens, NY against Darby Allin. Neither of those matches will be allowed to air on the WWN streaming service
653
654Bill Morrisey, better known as Big Cass, was on Booker T’s podcast radio show over the weekend and took full blame for his being fired. “If I’m going to be honest with you,” he said, “I made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes in a very short period of time. I did some things that I shouldn’t have done. I guess the company couldn’t rely on me and couldn’t trust me. Look, I’ll be honest with you. In my opinion, they made the right decision fr them. It was the right decision to get rid of me at that point in time, not to say I won’t be back. But at that point in time they definitely made the right decision for them. To be honest with you, looking at it, they made the right decision for me. Everyone makes mistakes, but when you make that many mistakes in that short of a period of time, then you lose people’s trust and you’re not reliable anymore.” “I definitely would have fired myself. If I was in Vince McMahon’s position, I would have fired myself, for sure, 100 percent.” It came across to people that he was being very careful and trying to say the right things to get his job back and he made it clear his goal is to return to WWE
655
656It looks like the XFL will have a franchise in Houston when it opens in 2020. They are at least looking into it and toured two different stadiums BBVA Compass Stadium,, home of the Houston Dynamos and TDECU Stadium, home of the University of Houston football team
657
658A correction from last week, even though Michael Blais, who wrestled Itami on 205 Live last week had a 1970s Freebird haircut, it was not a spoof on Michael Hayes. The guys’ real name is Michael Richard Blais, and he’s wrestled in Western Canada s Chucky Blaze and MRB
659
660We’ve got notes on the ratings from the U.K. for the last two weeks available. The 8/13 to 8/19 week was a big one in the U.K. as Raw did 127,000 viewers and Smackdown did 84,000. This would be the go-home week for SummerSlam. The post-SummerSlam shows, which would figure to be the highest rated in months, since they were in the U.S., saw Raw do 39,000 viewers and smackdown do 46,000 viewers
661
662TV this week is 9/10 in New Orleans and 9/11 in Lafayette. For Raw, HHH and Foley are scheduled to appear plus Rousey & Natalya vs. Bliss & Fox. Lafayette has Rusev & English vs. Sheamus & Cesaro for the shot at the tag title at the Hell in a Cell PPV five nights later, plus Buddy Murphy vs. Gran Metalik
663
664Rollins had his arm all cut up as part of the brawl on Raw, but he has been cleared to appear at the weekend house shows so the injuries weren’t serious
665
666Sam Gradwell’s MRI showed a full ACL tear so he’ll need surgery and be out probably six to nine months
667
668Jax is out of action with a leg injury
669
670The WWE stock price continued to rise this week, closing on 9/4 at $88.75 per share, meaning a $6.921 billion company value. If you’re at 20 times earnings, that means they’re looking at $350 million in profits in 2020, since the price is kind of based on 2020
671
672The most-watched WWE Network shows from the past week were: 1. SummerSlam 2018; 2. NXT from 8/29; 3. Story Time Episode three; 4. Story Time Episode two; 5. NXT Takeover Brooklyn; 6. 2017 Hell in a Cell; 7. Stephanie McMahon: All Business; 8. This Week in WWE; 9. NXT Chicago preshow (this always makes the list because there is a mechanism on a lot of the shows that if you watch until the end it automatically clicks to this episode); 10. Mae Young Classic bracketology. 205 Live on 8/28 was 14th, which means that the 8/22 views after the first week of NXT over the past seven days beat this week’s 205 Live numbers
673
674Notes from the 9/3 Raw show in Columbus, OH. With the exception of the Michaels-Undertaker confrontation, it was a normal show built around The Shield being arrested and coming back at the end of the show. They did it in a way where if you followed wrestling, you knew they’d come back and kick ass, but in the end, they got laid out by the heels. The other minor storyline stuff is that they broke up Dana Brooke from Titus Worldwide and made Drake Maverick the manager of Authors of Pain. Brooke walked out on them for what appeared to be no discernable reason past she’s lost a couple of matches after getting back in the ring. Maverick came out clad in AOP wear and cut a promo for them. They badly needed someone to cut promos for them and Maverick is a great person for the role since he’s such a natural at talking. Plus, his being so small accentuates their gimmick of being big guys. They said he would continue to be G.M. on 205 Live. The one thing is that AOP are heels and he’s a heel manager with them, but his role on 205 Live has been as a babyface authority figure. And his role has been no refreshing on 205 Live that it would be better not to change it, but then you’ve got character inconsistency. The show drew 9,000 fans. For Main Event, Breeze pinned Kanellis in a squash match. Rawley pinned Ryder with a face first slam in a so-so match. Raw opened with Strowman & Ziggler & McIntyre out. Renee Young was back announcing with Coachman off. It’s not like she’s great or anything, as Nigel McGuinness is levels above, but she’s so much better than Coachman. Even though he turned last week, fans were chanting “Get these hands” at Strowman. But the chant was lighter than before. He said that Reigns’ brothers had to save him and form a shield around him to save his title. He said without them, the title would have been his. But he also knows, with them, he’s not going to be able to win the title. So he had to get his own backup and he didn’t care of fans liked it or not. The crowd didn’t boo or cheer. He said he has a pack of his own now and this is his yard. McIntyre said the Shield’s time is over and they will feast on their bloody carcasses. Ziggler said they will be the most dominant force ever in WWE history more than the Nation of Domination, more the DX and more than The Shield. The Shield came out. Corbin came out and sent out the roster to keep the two sides apart. The Shield was beating up everyone. All six were going at it while the roster was unable to break them up. Most notable was that Balor was put in that group and it devalued him because it was mostly the world of prelim guys out there. After a commercial, the police handcuffed The Shield and Corbin ordered them gone. They were taken out in a police van to the police station. Renee Young kept pointing out that Ziggler & McIntyre & Strowman beat them down last week and weren’t arrested, acting as if there was a double standard. A double standard in wrestling? Never. The Bella Twins beat Morgan & Logan in 11:10. Brie tried a dive and landed short. It looked bad but she got up. There was an earlier teased dive that didn’t look good that Morgan was supposed to hit her as she came through the ropes, but her foot got caught and that didn’t look good either. Nikki pinned Morgan with the rack attack 2.0, which is the TKO. Corbin was talking on the phone to Stephanie. He told her that The Shield was taken into custody. Balor showed up and wanted a rematch after last week. After he was just a guy getting thrown around in the opening segment it was hard to care about him. Corbin said he was busy. Eventually Corbin agreed to a rematch in the main event. While it changed, people were told Corbin was wrestling in the main event. All I could think of was Balor vs. Corbin last would probably not be a good thing for third hour viewing. Gable & Roode were put together as a tag team. They did a promo together and it felt more like they were being put together to have Roode turn heel on him more than as a long-term team. Konnor called Roode a flash in the pan who couldn’t make it in the singles division. Roode & Gable beat The Ascension in 5:00. Gable looked great here. He hit German suplexes on both. He did a cannonball off the apron onto Konnor and a missile dropkick on Viktor, and then won with a Chaos Theory suplex on Viktor. Gable has been the single most underutilized talent on the main roster in recent months, so hopefully this isn’t one of those projects they start out and then Vince forgets about three weeks later. Elias came out and said how he hates women like Trish Stratus who hit men. He said that if Christopher Columbus knew his name would be associated with this city, he’d have turned his ship around and gone back to Europe. I loved that line. He then insulted the Ohio State Buckeyes and put over Michigan for an easy pop. It’s kind of silly since the real audience is the TV audience, and outside of Ohio and Michigan, they don’t care, and it makes him a babyface in Michigan. Bliss came out with Fox and Mickie James. Bliss said she was from Columbus and graduated high school in this very building. Then she turned on the city saying she couldn’t wait to get out of here, and said she recognized the zombies from high school here in the crowd and said, to them, look where you are and look where I am. She said she was the biggest star ever to come out of this state and made fun of Stratus. She said that she wanted to walk with Elias. Rousey and Natalya came out. This led to Bliss beating Natalya in 3:14 with a DDT and an armbar. After the match, Rousey attacked Bliss. Fox tried to get involved and Rousey gave her three judo throws in a row. This allowed Bliss to chop block her and threw her into the steps twice. Rousey recovered and Bliss, James and Fox left. In the storyline, they said that The Shield had been fingerprinted and processed. Corbin yelled at a guy backstage to clean up and shine up his Rolex. Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre came to Corbin and said that they wanted competition. They said that this is our show and they weren’t asking. McIntyre & Ziggler wanted a tag title match. Corbin noted that he could do it another week but The Revival is getting a title shot tonight. McIntyre asked what would happen if they weren’t good to go,. Corbin said that he would have to make other arrangements. Strowman told Corbin that he better find him some competition. The Revival were cutting a promo when Ziggler & McIntyre attacked them. McIntyre threw Wilder into some cases. With The Revival injured, Ziggler & McIntyre took their place and won the tag titles from Dallas & Axel in 10:08. Axel at one point did the Curt Hennig fisherman suplex on Ziggler for a near fall. McIntyre pinned Axel after the double-team Zig Zag and Claymore kick. Authors of Pain came out with Drake Maverick, in a much smaller sized Authors of Pain outfit. Maverick said he was the new manager of AOP. AOP beat Keith Thompson & Jimmy James in :56 with the super collider power bomb and Akam pinned James. Natalya was backstage with Rousey and the Bellas. Natalya said she was sick of all the games and doesn’t feel herself and left to mope. So this left the Bellas with Rousey. They wanted to help Rousey with her training but Rousey said she already has a training partner in Natalya. The Bellas said that’s cool, but if she needs any advice in running companies, writing a book (Rousey already had a best selling book), or fashion, she can come to them. Next was the Michaels/Undertaker segment. They announced that The Shield was charged with inciting a riot, criminal damage and disorderly conduct. The Columbus police department sure works faster than USADA. Corbin told Balor that he was too busy to face him, so Balor would instead face Strowman in the main event. Bayley & Banks beat Moon & Brooke in 5:43 when Banks pinned Brooke with a front rolling cradle. Brooke then told Titus Worldwide she was quitting and walked off. No more stat woman. Lashley came out of Corbin’s office and was told that he needed an intervention to find inner peace with Mahal. Mahal was in the ring with Lashley and Sunil Singh. They sat there on a rug. Mahal was talking about how to flow like water, which was Sakuraba’s catch phrase that Frank Shamrock later took. While this was going on, Owens returned and jumped Lashley. Lashley came back, threw Mahal out of the ring and Owens superkicked Lashley. Owens then power bombed Lashley on the apron. They announced that the Shield had posted bond and were released. Strowman pinned Balor in the main event in 10:33. Balor did a double foot stomp off the apron to Strowman’s back. The fans were cheering Balor here, so they didn’t protest the Strowman turn much. Balor did a sling blade on the floor and a running flip dive on Strowman, McIntyre and Ziggler. Balor put on the worst looking triangle ever, and tried an armbar from guard but Strowman power bombed him and pinned him with a powerslam clean. He gave Balor another powerslam after the match. Ziggler, McIntyre and Strowman set up doing a Shield power bomb on Balor when The Shield came back, driving the police van. Corbin ordered all the heels out to attack The Shield, including Owens, AOP, The Ascension and Elias. Rezar threw Reigns into the apron. Strowman hit Reigns with the ring steps. Rollins was thrown off the ramp and into the van. Strowman hit Reigns with the ring steps. Ziggler hit Rollins with the vans’ back door and superkicked him. McIntyre beat down Ambrose. Strowman powerslammed Reigns on the floor. Rollins was bleeding from the left arm from being thrown into the van
675
676Notes from the 9/4 Smackdown tapings in Detroit. This show had kind of a sad lesson. They drew 6,000 fans, and pushed that the dark match title match, which is there to keep the people from leaving during 205 Live, would be Charlotte defending in a three-way against Lynch and Carmella. Sometimes most people stay for the main event, sometimes a decent amount of people leave but it usually looks okay. Here, it looked like the vast majority left. While watching 205 Live, it only looked like maybe 1,500 people in the building when it looked full five minutes earlier. And you could see people leaving on camera as the show went on. This was the worst look for a WWE taping in years because even in the past when they had 3,000 for Smackdown in a big arena they could position them on one side and put tarp over the upper deck and it would look okay. Here, because it was people who were there leaving, the place looked empty, even a few rows deep. Rhyno pinned Kanellis in the dark match opener. Both are Raw wrestlers but they probably but Rhyno out there to get a local pop. Smackdown was built around Miz & Maryse vs. Bryan & Brie Bella. The show opened with Renee Young calling out Bryan & Brie Bella. Yes, Brie Bella was just on Raw. They didn’t even bother with an explanation like with Cena where they would call him a free agent. I think she’s two different people wearing the same outfit. Raw Brie is one of the Bella Twins tag team. Smackdown Brie is Bryan’s wife. They showed a clip of Miz & Maryse in the building hours before the show calling out Bryan & Brie, with the idea that they called them out knowing they weren’t at the building. The story is that Miz & Maryse then left the building to go out at an Italian restaurant in Detroit and told the restaurant not to let anyone from Detroit in. Bryan called them cowards. Almas & Vega came out. This led to Bryan over Almas in 11:39. They had a good match. Bryan came off the apron into a dropkick by Almas. Bryan did a tope for the express purpose of going to a commercial break. Almas did his double moonsault for a near fall. Bryan was kicking the hell out of Almas and Almas chopped so hard that not only was Bryan’s chest all red but he was bleeding from the chest. Bryan won clean with the running knee. Brie then laid out Vega with a high kick and gave Vega a running knee to where Vega’s head snapped back. It looked like she connected hard, although Vega was okay enough to come back out and do an angle at the end of the show. Miz & Maryse did a video from the restaurant. They said they were at the arena looking for Bryan & Brie but they never showed up. They said that they had their chance to fight but now they’ll have to wait for the PPV. Bryan & Brie then left the building, not even changing. Bryan left in his trunks with his chest dropping blood saying that they were hungry for Italian food and were going to the restaurant Miz & Maryse were at. Kayla Braxton from NXT was backstage doing the interview. Bryan & Brie left and Bryan joked that he hoped the restaurant didn’t have a dress code. They did a UFC style interview with Charlotte and Lynch in separate studios and announced them in a title match at Hell in a Cell. The crowd booed Charlotte and cheered Lynch heavily, including chanting her name. Lynch said that being Charlotte’s best friend was a 24 hour a day job because Charlotte had so many insecurities. She said he had to constantly tell Charlotte that she could live up to the family name. Charlotte said she beat Lynch in their match and figured if the roles were reversed Lynch would try to beat her. She said that she always treated Lynch as an equal as friends, but not she’s going to show that in the ring, Lynch is second best. Naomi pinned Royce in 1:21 with a sunset flip. Kay & Royce were beating down Naomi after the match until Asuka made the save and cleaned house. Miz & Maryse came back from the restaurant, with the idea they knew Bryan & Brie were coming to the restaurant. They wanted to call them out and Paige told them Bryan & Brie had left. Miz & Maryse said they left because they were afraid of the hardest hitting couple in the WWE. Paige told Miz that he was going to be competing in a match tonight. Miz didn’t want to and said they were leaving. Paige said they could leave, but if they do, they could never come back. R-Truth was running around looking for Carmella. He went up to Maryse and acted like he thought she was Carmella. He told Maryse that she can’t keep ducking im. Maryse said that she couldn’t believe anyone could mistake her for that Staten Island trash. Miz told Truth never speak to his wife again. Truth said that he didn’t know Miz had married Carmella. Miz asked him when the last time they teamed up was and R-Truth said seven years ago. Miz told him that’s because he’s become a joke and he didn’t even know R-Truth still worked there. R-Truth said that he can’t see what Carmella sees in him. Joe came out. He had a big gash above the left eye. Joe did an interview about talking to Wendy (Styles’ wife) and Annie (Styles’ daughter). Joe said that actually he’s been good for the family in taunting Styles because now Styles actually cares about his family and how Styles stayed home with them on a Tuesday. He told Annie that at Hell in a Cell, a bad man is going to take her daddy’s championship and make him go night night. Styles was on screen first saying that when someone threatens his family, that’s when the talking stops. Styles then hit the ring. They got into a brawl. Joe first bailed out but then threw Styles into the ring steps. Joe picked up a chair. Styles recovered and did the phenomenal forearm off the ring steps, knocking the chair out of Joe’s hands. A bunch of refs came out to break things up. Styles did a springboard plancha before it was all broken up. R-Truth was backstage with Dillinger. R-Truth was again looking for Carmella. Dillinger pointed out Carmella was right there. So R-Truth went up to her and asked her if she had seen Carmella. Carmella said that she was Carmella and wanted R-Truth to leave her alone. R-Truth instead said he wanted to bury the hatchet and have her accompany him to ringside for his match with Miz to make sure the other Carmella doesn’t interfere. R-Truth also told Carmella that the other Carmella called her Staten Island trash. Carmella said she had more talent in her pinky than Maryse has in her uncoordinated body. Dillinger asked what that was all about. R-Truth said it was a lesson. Dillinger asked a lesson in what. R-Truth said it was a lesson of who to get into the main event. So the idea is that the R-Truth character for the last several years playing being stupid was a work and he was the smart one as he manipulated himself into the main event. But that doesn’t explain the last several years when he was asking like this and never got out of prelims. The three-way tag title contenders tournament match saw Rusev & English win over the Usos and Eric Young & Killian Dain in 12:54. The match was surprisingly slow early but it did pick up. Young did an elbow drop off the4 apron to the floor. He’s a little old to be messing around with doing that kind of damage to his hip. Wolfe tried to interfere and Rusev kicked him off the apron. Jey Uso did a splash on Young but English saved. It turned into a good match. Rusev teased doing a dive but obviously got blocked form dong so. English gave one of the Usos a DDT on the apron, while in the ring, Rusev pinned Young after a kick. Sheamus & Cesaro came out to confront them. Miz & Maryse came out. They said they’ve been going back-and-forth challenging Bryan & Brie and have gone all over the city but they are cowards. Miz said that Bryan is having his wife fight his battles for him. R-Truth & Carmella came out together. They had already been announced earlier in the day as a regular team for Mixed Match Challenge. They work together doing R-Truth’s rap and Carmella dances and does some lines, so they have chemistry together doing the ring entrance. R-Truth pinned Miz in 7:11. The action was good. Miz was setting up the skull crushing finale when Bryan & Brie showed up. Miz was distracted and R-Truth pinned him with a front rolling cradle. Bryan & Brie hit the ring and Bryan beat down on Miz and Brie attacked Maryse. Bryan had Miz in the Yes lock and Brie went after Maryse. Almas & Vega came out. Vega attacked Brie which saved Maryse. Almost threw Bryan into the ring steps. Bryan & Brie came back and Bryan put the yes locks on Almas while Brie did the same to Vega. Vega was tapping. Miz & Maryse were out there but wouldn’t help Vega & Almas. Miz then tried to run in and Bryan released Almas and with Bryan no longer on the ground, Miz backed off. 205 Live opened with Metalik pinning Nese in 11:08. This was really good but as usual, there was no crowd reaction and worse the place had emptied out greatly. Nese caught Metalik when attempting a moonsault, but Metalik reversed that into a swinging DDT. Metalik did a ropewalk dropkick. People were getting up and leaving on screen while these two guys worked hard. Metalik even did the jump over the ropes huracanrana sending Nese off the apron to the floor that Dragon Lee and Ricochet do. Their versions are a lot smoother. Nese did a Fosbury flop and a 450, but Metalik kicked out. Not sure they should devalue the 450 as a kick out move in just a match like this. Nese kicked out of the Metalik driver. Metalik got the pin after a ropewalk elbow drop. Drake Maverick, who is a face on this show, told the refs to watch out if Cedric Alexander gets out of control. Ali came up to Maverick and cracked a joke about thinking he’d be wearing his Authors of Pain outfit. Maverick said that what he does on Monday nights is not your concern. Maverick was mad about Ali confronting Hideo Itami when he wasn’t cleared with the worked injury storyline. It looks like they are trying to get Ali over by doing a storyline based on Bryan. Maverick refused to clear him while Ali said he was fine and feeling great. Maverick said Ali said that the last time and told him not to stop foot in the ring again until he was cleared. Noam Dar pinned Bryan Kelly in 2:27 with a running kick to the head. Lio Rush was doing commentary. They were setting up Rush vs. Dar. Drake was backstage with Alexander. It looks like he’s got a left thumb injury since it was all taped up. Alexander came out and called out Drew Gulak. Gulak never came out. TJP came out. They exchanged words and Alexander told him to get in the ring for a match. Maverick came out and said that he’s the one who makes the matches, but he liked the idea of the match. Alexander pinned TJP in a non-title match in 11:00 with the lumbar check. Good match. TJP did the Pentagon broken arm spot on Alexander’s left arm. TJP then put a Kimura on the arm. Alexander came back with the falcon arrow. TJP used a Fujiwara armbar and later a kneebar but Alexander made the ropes. After the mach, Gulak came out. Alexander invited him into the ring. As Gulak distracted Alexander, Jack Gallagher came from behind and they beat him down. Gulak put the gu lock on Alexander. The dark match saw Charlotte retain over Lynch and Carmella. Most of the match was Charlotte vs. Lynch. The match ended with Charlotte throwing Lynch out of the ring and putting the figure eight on Carmella for the submission
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678NXT opened its house show run on 8/30 in Jacksonville before 350 fans. Humberto Carrillo, who is Ultimate Ninja from Mexico, beat Luke Menzies. War Raiders beat Amanpreet Singh & Jason Cheng. Singh was Mahabali Shera in Impact and whose real name is Amanpreet Singh Randahwa. Lacey Evans beat Lacey Lane. Keith Lee pinned Kona Reeves. Lee had a big reaction. Lars Sullivan & Fabian Aichner beat Dan Matha & Marcel Barthel. Velveteen Dream pinned Brennan Williams. Shayna Baszler & Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir beat Dakota Kai & Nikki Cross & Io Shirai. Main event saw Ricochet retain the North American title over Shane Thorne
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680The other weekend NXT show was 8/31 in Fort Pierce, FL, before 450 fans. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch beat Jason Change & Rocky. Lee pinned Dominik Dijakovic. Those two had one of the best matches in the U.S. last year in PWG and one of the best matches of the 2017 WrestleMania weekend of all promotions in Evolve. Heavy Machinery beat Adrian Jaoude & Cezar Bononi, managed by Taynara Conti, who are Eh Nois. Shirai pinned Aliyah. Adam Cole & Roderick Strong beat the Street Profits. Kyle O’Reilly hasn’t been wrestling since Takeover. We haven’t gotten any confirmation as to why at press time. Lio Rush came back to NXT and went to a double count out with Fabian Aichner. Rhea Ripley beat Kacy Catanzaro to keep the U.K. women’s title. Notable that Ripley is defending the title before the matches air on the WWE Network in the tournament. Also notable Catanzaro is working a title match and so high on the card so early in her career, but everyone raves about her. Main event saw Tommaso Ciampa retain the NXT title over Velveteen Dream, who worked as the face, which isn’t hard against Ciampa and given the crowd cheers Dream no matter how he works
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682The Raw crew ran 8/31 in Osaka at the Edion Arena in Japan, drawing 3,693 fans. WWE has never done killer business in Osaka but considering how rarely they run the city and promoted it hard, building the show locally around Ronda Rousey’s debut in the country (she never fought there and never wrestled there yet, but she did compete in judo in Japan) and Kairi Sane’s return. Because of that I’d have expected a better crowd. They also ran 9/1 in Shanghai, China with Cena, but we didn’t get an attendance for the show
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684Smackdown opened on 9/1 in Cleveland, drawing only 2,000 fans at the Wolstein Center, which is very weak for a Saturday in that market. But 9/2 in Kalamazoo, MI did 5,000. 9/3 in Saginaw, MI, did 1,500 fans
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686Raw in Osaka, it opened with Roode pinning Mahal with the glorious DDT in 10:14. Mahal then refused to leave and challenged anyone in the back. Wyatt came out and beat Mahal quickly with Sister Abigail. Alexander won a three-way over Gulak and Tozawa in just over 10:00 with the lumbar check on Gulak. Tozawa was flown over just for this show, as he didn’t work either the London or the Shanghai show on the tour. Banks & Bayley & Sane beat The Riott Squad. With Sane just on this show, that meant an
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688odd number of babyfaces so Natalya was the referee. Sane scored the pin with the insane elbow off the top. The B team retained the tag titles in a three-way over O’Neil & Crews and The Revival. Rollins & Ambrose beat McIntyre & Ziggler in 16:05 when Rollins pinned Ziggler after the curb stomp. Balor pinned Corbin with an inside cradle. After the match, they did something similar to Raw and what they’ve been doing at the house shows where Corbin hit him with a chair, and ordered a no DQ match which he won in 37 seconds with the End of Days. Rousey retained the title over Bliss in 9:00 with an armbar. I was told that since they were in Japan, Rousey used more judo in her match than she’s done in her other matches with Bliss. Main event saw Reigns beat Strowman in the Universal title match in 8:21 when Ziggler and McIntyre interfered. This led to Rollins & Ambrose making the save and the show ended with the Shield power bomb on McIntyre
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690Shanghai was somewhat similar but there was also a lot of shuffling around. Roode pinned Wyatt with the Glorious DDT, so Wyatt was back working as a heel for this match. Same tag title match with B Team over Titus Worldwide and The Revival. Rollins & Ambrose beat McIntyre & Ziggler. Cena & Lashley & Balor beat Elias & Corbin & Mahal in the match where Cena debuted his new move. Alexander retained the cruiserweight title over Gulak with the lumbar check. Rousey & Bayley & Banks & Natalya beat The Riott Squad & Bliss. Main event was the same Reigns vs. Strowman match as the night before
691
692Smackdown in Cleveland opened with Big E & Kingston keeping the tag titles over Sheamus & Cesaro. Good match but it had one of the worst botches ever as Kingston took a bump a good two feet early before he was to take a double clothesline spot. People thought he was doing a swerve bump that would lead to an offensive move because it was so off. New Day won with the Midnight hour. Woods was doing a convention over the weekend so missed the first two nights of the tour. Naomi pinned Deville with the rear view. Deville got the easy hit making fun of Cleveland for LeBron leaving again. Rose was there and interfered a few times. Usos beat Eric Young & Wolfe with a double superkick finish. Rusev & Lana beat Almas & Vega with the double accolade submission. Lots of Rusev Day chants. Nakamura pinned Jeff Hardy to keep the U.S. title using the Kinshasa. Short and disappointing. After the match Hardy gave Nakamura a low blow and laid him out with a twist of fate. Bryan pinned Miz with a flying knee. Said to be the best match on the show. Since they were in Cleveland, and with a small crowd, it’s more hardcore oriented so Miz was cheered like crazy coming out. He then tried to turn heel. He cut a promo saying that he was the only superstar who gets booed in his home town. That was weird because at the time, he was heavily cheered. He then talked about LeBron leaving, ripped on the Cleveland Browns for sucking and that everyone who is any good, like himself, who comes from Cleveland leaves. He said he lives in Austin, TX but he comes from Hollywood because saying you’re from Cleveland is an embarrassment. He then did the Rick Rude deal and calling fans fat, lazy sweathogs. Even then, he had some fans behind him during the match. R-Truth pinned Benjamin with a small package. Benjamin claimed his shoulder was up. Charlotte beat Carmella via DQ in the women’s title match when Lynch interfered. They had advertised a four-way. Byron Saxton came out, and announced it would be a four-way for the title. But only Charlotte and Carmella came out. Then the bell rang and they started doing a singles title match. Only 2:00 into the match, Lynch interfered for the DQ. The crowd cheered Lynch like crazy. Asuka made the save, and it turned into the tag match where Charlotte & Asuka beat Lynch & Carmella. Interesting that when Lynch was in with Asuka, the crowd was for Asuka. Charlotte cheerleaded from the outside and fans chanted for Asuka. When Lynch was in with Charlotte, the crowd didn’t react at all, as you’d think they’d cheer Lynch based on television. They booed Carmella. Charlotte beat Carmella with the figure eight submission. Styles pinned Joe to retain the WWE title in the main event with the phenomenal forearm
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694. Kalamazoo was a similar show. The only differences were that Rose replaced Deville in losing to Naomi. The match only went 3:00. Sanity on this night was Wolfe & Dain, in losing to the Usos. The rest of the show was the same
695
696Saginaw was also a similar show. Tag title match was a good opener going 8:00 with some comedy. Naomi pinned Deville in 6:00 with a roll-up. Rose was in Deville’s corner. Usos beat Young & Dain. They pinned Dain with a double superkick in a good match. Rusev & Lana beat Almas & Vega with the double accolade. A lot of comedy here. Nakamura pinned Jeff Hardy to keep the U.S. title in 12:00 with the Kinshasa. Bryan pinned Miz in 7:00 with the running knee. R-Truth pinned Benjamin in a quick match. Charlotte beat Carmella via DQ when Lynch interfered in a quick match. Then they did the Charlotte & Asuka over Lynch & Carmella match with the same ending with the figure eight on Carmella in 10:00. Asuka and Lynch looked good and Lynch wasn’t booed. Styles beat Joe in 13:00 with the calf crusher submission. Joe had a lot of cheers.
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